


Zootopia Nick Wilde x Judy Hopps

by Javs27



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-06
Updated: 2016-07-14
Packaged: 2018-07-12 17:23:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 49,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7115275
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Javs27/pseuds/Javs27
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A fanfiction following the relationship of Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps. This is my first fanfiction, so all feedback is welcomed!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Nick POV

Today was the first day.

I had laid out my uniform the night before, nice and neatly, and shined my badge and shoes profusely. I wanted to make a good impression on the first day, especially since some animals weren't exactly….happy with a fox being a police officer. And, of course, I wanted to impress Judy.

Looking at myself in the mirror, I admired my clean, pristine police uniform, and my gleaming ZPD badge. Puffing my chest out slightly, I had to admit, I preferred this look over my green Hawaiian shirt.

I glanced at my watch. 7:34 a.m. Judy was supposed to pick me up at 8, and I knew being late would only put her in a huffish mood for the rest of the day, so I got up about an hour earlier.

I flopped down on my bed. Oh, Judy. Even thinking about her created butterflies in my stomach. There was something special about her, something that had always intimidated me, but at the same time, her loving and emotional side was something I had never really felt in my life. Still, she felt somewhat closed off, always so stern and official, but her optimism and rigor was something I loved about her. That and those lovely lilac eyes of hers. Despite how close I felt to her, my feelings were something I was scared to share. For one, I'm a fox and she's a rabbit, not exactly your typical couple. Another, well I didn't want to lose the friendship we already had. Without it, I don't know where I'd be.

I glance down at my watch again. 7:55 a.m. I sighed, and stood up. I grabbed my apartment keys and phone, and headed down to the lobby to wait for Judy.

Judy POV

I pulled up to Nick's apartment complex, and to my surprise, saw that he was fully dressed in uniform, and ready to go. It was a bit weird seeing him in a uniform instead of his Hawaiian shirt and khakis, he looked almost…..handsome. "No," I said to myself, shaking the thought from my head, "I can't think about that, not on the job."

"Hey Partner!" Nick said, hopping into my car with a grin on his face.

"Hey Rookie!" I responded, teasingly. "You nervous for your first day?"

He chuckled. "Me, nervous?" I shot him a questioning look. "Okay, maybe a little." I giggled. I saw him shot a look at the dangling carrot charm hanging from my rearview mirror, and he snicked a bit.

"Something funny?" I inquired.

"Nope, nothing at all Carrots." He shot me that signature smirk of his, the one where he looks like he knows something I don't. I couldn't help but laugh a bit. As we were driving, I couldn't help but think about my relationship with Nick. Sure, we were friends now, but the way he always took everything as a joke sort of bothered me. It is kinda charming though. Again, I stopped myself from thinking about him.

We pulled into the station, walked in, and were greeted by Clawhauser yelling our names.

"JUDY! NICK! IT'S SO GREAT TO SEE YOU GUYS!"

"Hi, Benjamin, it's good to see you too!" I replied pleasantly back to him with a warm smile. Nick just kinda waved at him. I rolled my eyes. "Nick, say hi to Benjamin."

"OH HELLO BENJAMIN, IT'S NICE TO SEE YOU TOO!" Nick said in a sarcastic, over enthusiastic tone. "There, is that better?" I simply just rolled my eyes at him again and led him to our daily morning meeting. We had just sat down when Chief Bogo walked in. I saw out of the corner of my eyes Nick leaning back, resting his feet on the desk in front of us.

"Nick," I hissed under my breath. "get your feet off the table and at least try to look professional."

"Wilde!" Bogo yelled. "Feet. off, the table." Nick's ears pinned back and became more red than usual. He quickly removed his feet from the desk with a nervous laugh. I snickered a bit, then regained my composure, "Speaking of Wilde, you and Hopps will be staking out a drug deal that is supposed to happen at 12:30 this afternoon. The drop is supposed to take place at 294 Brookfield Street. I want you to observe the drop, and once the drugs have been exchanged, move in on the perps."

"Yessir!" I answered attentively.

"Sure, whatever." Nick countered, who now had his phone out. I gave him the dirtiest look I could muster, then told Bogo, "We'll be right on it sir! Right Nick?"

"What? Oh yeah, mhm." Bogo dismissed us and we walked to my police cruiser and went to where the drop was supposed to take place.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The whole way there, Nick was still mesmerized by his phone. "Nick. Nick. NICK."

"What?"

"First of all, get off your phone. Second, what was that?"

He sighed in an annoyed tone and put his phone in his pocket. "I figured you had it covered."

"Do you realize how bad you just made me look? I'm already a joke in there, do you really think I need you adding to that?" Immediately, I could see the color drain from his face. "Oh….sorry...I wasn't really thinking about that."

"God, you are so insufferable sometimes!" I expressed angrily.

"Really, me? At least I'm not so wrapped up in my job that throw everyone aside!"

Nick POV

The moment I said that, I realized I'd gone too far. He cheeks filled with color and she was the angriest I had ever seen her. "At least I'm actually trying here! Instead of just sitting around, expecting good things just to come my way without trying!"

"Judy, I-"

"Shut it Wilde. Make yourself useful and watch for the drop."

We sat in silence for what seemed like forever, allowing me ample time to reflect on what had just happened. Is that really what she thought of me? If so, I had no chance to even remain close with her. Hours passed, and finally it was 12:30.

"It's supposed to happen in that alley." Judy pointed to the alleyway across the street. "I'll stay hidden nearby and wait for the exchange." She opened the door of the car. "You stay here."

"Judy, wait-"

"Nick, no," She snapped, cutting me off. "You've caused enough trouble today and I don't need you screwing this up too." She slammed the door shut and proceeded across the street.

I groaned and buried my face in my hands. This was not how this day was supposed to go. "No," I said to myself. "I can't stay here, I need to make sure I have her back out there." I exited the vehicle and stood on the opposite side of the alley across from Judy. I could see her waving me back, but I didn't listen. As I stood outside the alley, I heard gruff voices talking.

"You got it?"

"Yeah, you got my money?"

"Hand it over, then I'll pay you." I heard the shuffling of money, and the exchange of something. Suddenly, Judy faced the criminals, gun pointed at them, and yelled "Freeze! ZPD! Put your hands up and get on the ground!" I did the same, but once they saw us, they ran down alley, one exiting one way, the other going the opposite way.

"Nick, go left! I'll go right!" Judy exclaimed as we took off running. I ran as fast as I could, unfortunately I happened to be chasing a cheetah. Needless to say, I lost pretty quickly. Hands on my knees, hunched over and panting, my eyes widened as I remembered Judy. That's when I heard the gunshot, followed by Judy's scream.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Nick POV

I ran faster than I ever knew I could, pushing people out of the way, desperately trying to get to her. "ZPD, GET OUT OF THE WAY, MOVE!" I felt a pit in my stomach, slowly growing as I grew closer to her, fearing the worse. My legs were like blurs, carrying me so quickly it almost felt like I was flying. As I approached where the gunshot seemed to come from, I saw a circle had formed around something. Or someone. I pushed through the circle to see Judy lying in the middle of the circle, arms and legs sprawled out, motionless.. She was barely conscious, and softly moaning. A pool of blood had formed around where she had been shot in the leg. "Oh god, Judy? Judy, can you hear me?" Her eyes fluttered, and all I got was another soft moan. Tears were already streaming down my face, I needed to stop the blood somehow, otherwise she was going to bleed out. I took off the shirt of my uniform, then my undershirt, leaving the fur on my torso exposed. I took my undershirt, a plain white t-shirt, and wrapped it around her wound. She cried out in pain, wincing and groaning. "I know Carrots, I know, I need to stop the blood." I said through the tears. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry Judy…"

Judy POV

I slowly opened my eyes, groggily, not recognizing my surroundings. I was in a bed, but it was not my bed. I saw a lot of white, white walls, white curtains, white doors. Was I in Nick's apartment? No, this was entirely too clean to be Nick's apartment. I noticed the throbbing in my left leg. I then remembered chasing the dealer, him pulling a gun on me, getting shot, all in rapid succession.

I then felt another sensation, a more pleasant one. I looked over and there was Nick, one hand grasping mine, the other supporting his head. I couldn't tell if he was awake or not. "N..Nick?" I murmured.

His ears instantly perked up and he sat up straight, his emerald eyes piercing mine. "Juds! Juds, are you ok?"

"Besides being shot in the leg you mean? Not too shabby I suppose."

"Juds, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean anything I said before, I-"

They were suddenly interrupted by a lioness opening the door. "Oh, I see our officer is awake! Officer Wilde, I'm going to have to ask you to leave the room now."

Nick's ears drooped. "Yes, Doctor." He withdrew from the room.

"Hello Ms. Hopps, I'm Dr. Lang. How are you feeling?"

"Well, my leg is really sore, but otherwise, fine."

"Good to hear. You know, you're very lucky to have a friend like ." I raised my eyebrow. "Without his quick thinking to tie up your leg to stop the bleeding, you probably wouldn't be here now." A wave of love and appreciation flowed through me, and I gave a slight smile. "Yeah, I guess I am lucky."

"Well, all your vitals seem to be normal, but we're going to keep you overnight just to be sure. The pain relievers we're giving you may make you a bit drowsy, so you'll have no trouble falling asleep." She smiled at me. "Thanks Dr. Lang." I responded, as she gave me a new IV. I could already feel my body relaxing as the drug flowed through me.

Nick POV

"How is she?" I asked Dr. Lang.

"She's going to be fine, we're keeping her overnight just in case, but she should be ready to go home tomorrow."

"Thank you so much Doctor. May I go see her now?"

"Yes, but she's on some very powerful painkillers, so she may be a bit drowsy."

I slowly opened the door, peeking in on Judy. She was laying down, but her eyes were still open. When she say me, they widened and lit up. "Hey Nicky." Nicky? That was a new one. She's not one to give nicknames. "Thanks for saving my life." She smiled at me, but it was different from all the other smiles she had given me. It was more….loving. Or maybe it was just the painkillers. "Anything for you, Cottontail." Her smile grew even wider as she drifted off to sleep. and I closed the door quietly.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Nick POV

"Just make sure she's well rested, stays off her feet, and eats and drinks a lot." The nurse was instructing Nick. "Trust me sir, she'll be in good hands with me." He saw her, on crutches, trying to walk. She was extremely wobbly, and almost fell down a few times. "Here Cottontail, let me help you with that." He took her arm and held it as she walked to his car.

"Thanks Nick."

"Sure thing Carrots." He helped her into the car, and took her crutches and placed them in the backseat. They were tiny, almost comical, and he couldn't help but let out a chuckle.

"So, we're going to go to your place, you're going to let me help you, and you're not going to try to get up and walk. Under any circumstances. Understood Cottontail?" Knowing the resilient and independent bunny, she'd want to do everything herself, even after just being shot.

"Nick, that's really sweet of you, but you don't have to-"

"Nah uh, what did I just say?" I smirked at her.

"Will you at least put on some music? I think I have a Gazelle CD somewhere in here…" We drove the whole way singing Gazelle at the top of our lungs, and looking at Judy, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. Once they got to Judy's apartment complex, I immediately felt out of place. The entire complex consisted of rabbits. I gulped nervously, and Judy noticed my obvious discomfort.

"Hey," She said, touching the back of my paw, "everything is going to be okay. Okay?" I nodded back. I took a deep breath, and exited the car. I felt all eyes draw towards me, the bright red haired fox, the natural enemy of all these animals. I quickly ran around the car, and grabbed the crutches out of the backseat, avoiding all eye contact. I could hear whispers of, "What does he think he's doing here?" and "Dirty fox." I handed Judy her crutches and rushed her to the elevator.

"Nick, slow down, you're walking too fast!"

"Sorry Juds." I slowed my pace. The elevator opened, and what seemed like a flood of rabbits poured out, all avoiding a 1 foot zone around me. We quickly entered the elevator, and Judy pushed the button to her floor, number 27. As the elevator rose, I felt my anxiety descend.

"Hey," Judy nudged me. "Hey." I looked at her concerned eyes. "I'm really sorry about that. Some rabbits still aren't very….accepting."

"It's alright, I get it." I flashed her my best fake smile, but I could tell she still wasn't totally convinced. The elevator opened, and Judy let us into her apartment. I always marvelled at it, it was probably the neatest, most organized thing I've ever seen. It was almost as beautiful as her. "C'mon Carrots, let's get you to your bed." I led her to her room, and left her alone to change. When she opened the door back up, it was probably the strangest, most wonderful thing. I had only seen her out of her uniform once, but never in pajamas. And of course, they were decorated with tiny carrots. "Anything I can get for you?"

"Some carrot juice and vegetable soup would be amazing." Judy responded, sounding exasperated.

"Coming right up!" I left her in her room and quickly started collecting ingredients. "Now, how do I turn on the stove.." I said to myself.

Judy POV

I could hear Nick out in the kitchen, dropping things, yelling profanities. I wanted to get up to help him so bad, but unfortunately, my leg had other ideas. Finally, a good 2 hours later, Nick returned with a bowl of steaming soup, and a glass of carrot juice. "Here you go Cottontail." He set it on my beside table, and proceeded to sit on the edge of my bed. He was obviously proud of what he whipped up, beaming from ear to ear with that sly smile. I smiled back.

"Thanks Nick, this looks great!"

"Really? I had never really worked with vegetables, I did my best."

"Yeah, I can't wait to try it!" I brought the bowl to my lips. I took a sip. It was one of the worst things I've ever tasted. I hid my grimace behind the bowl. "It's g-great Nick!" hoping he wouldn't notice the pain in my voice, His grin grew even larger. I set the soup down. "I'm really really tired, would you mind if I napped."

"No, not at all! You better finish that soup though." He winked at me.

"It'd be hard not to!"

"Oh, Judy, can I ask you one more thing?"

"Yes?" I inquired, turning up my ears and swiveling them towards him.

"Well,,,I was sorta wondering,,,if you wanted to...once you've gotten better of course! If you wanted to goutandeatdinnersometime." He slurred those last words so quickly I couldn't tell what he had said.

"Nick, try not to slur your words this time."

He took a deep breath and his cheeks became rosy. Was he...blushing?What was going on? "Nick, spit it out, what do you want?"

He collected himself, closed his eyes, and said slowly,"Would you want to go and eat dinner sometime?"

I was a bit taken back at first. Was he asking what I think he was asking? "Is Nicholas Wilde asking me on a date?"

His cheeks became an even darker shade of crimson. "I mean if you want to treat it that way… you don't have to though if you don't want to!" His embarrassment was probably the cutest thing I had ever seen.

"You ARE asking me out!" I sat up in my bed. Once I had gotten past my initial surprise, I felt a pit in my stomach develop. "Nick, come here." He shuffled over to me, sat on my bed and stared at me with those piercing eyes, now filling with tears. "I would love to..but…"

"But I'm a fox and you're a bunny. It's alright, I get it. I should've known better." He started to get up, but I grabbed his arm and pulled him back down.

"No, it's just, well, I'm scared."

He started at me, with those eyes of his now filled with hurt and betrayal. "You're….afraid of me?"

"No, no not of you! Of other animals. Of my parents. Of your parents. You realize what it means if we do this?"

He looked at his paws. "Yeah, I do. But it's worth it," He looked back up at me. "You're worth it."

My eyes started filling with tears. I couldn't believe this fox, this fox I was supposed to be enemies with, this fox that I thought was one dimensional, like I originally thought all foxes were, was asking to be with me.

"Well, it a huge risk." He hung his head. I smiled. "But risks have never really scared me." He looked back at me, and for the first time, I saw compassion, and caring in his eyes. He embraced me, crying. I started crying too, thinking about what this meant for us. He wrapped his arms around my waist, and curved his body around my small, fragile one. It felt….natural. Like it was meant to be. Next thing I knew, I was drifting off in the safety of Nick's arms.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Nick POV

I took a deep breath. I couldn't believe the day had finally come. Judy's leg was now feeling much better, she could even walk without crutches now, all she had was a slight limp. I had been preparing for this for weeks now, finding the perfect clothes, picking the perfect day, hell, I even bought a comb to get all the tangles out of my fur. a process which took almost 2 hours. I was happy I had done it though, my fur had never looked so healthy and clean. As for the clothes, I had chosen black jeans with a bright blue t-shirt, Judy's favorite color. I walked over to my dresser and picked up something I hadn't used in years, cologne (Fierce Tiger by Camel Klein). I sprayed it on my neck and underarms, and took once last look in the mirror. I was ready. I grabbed the red and white checkered blanket, and a picnic basket, filled with carrots and celery for Judy, and fried grasshoppers for me. I smiled, today was going to be perfect. I practically bounced out my door, closing and locking it behind me, and headed down towards the parking lot.

As I got closer to Zootopia Park, I could feel myself getting more and more nervous. "This is ridiculous!" I thought, "You know Judy, you've been with her before, there's no reason to be nervous!" Yet, I could feel my paws continuing to become sweatier, I could feel a bed of sweat race down my back, my leg was bouncing on the floor of my car. I checked my watch. 11 a.m. I was supposed to met Judy here at noon, but I wanted to get here early to get the perfect spot and set everything up.

I parked on the side of the road and quickly got out my car, taking the blanket and basket with me. I roamed around the park, trying to find a more private, yet beautiful spot. Suddenly, I spotted a thin trail leading into a wooded area of the park. Raising an eyebrow, I navigated through the woods, following the trail, when I promptly arrived at a clearing overlooking the fishing lake. The view nearly took my breath away, I could see almost the entire park, but unless you knew where to look, you would never be able to tell someone was up here. I excitedly laid out my blanket and put down the basket. This was just what I was hoping for!

I headed back to the entrance of the park, where I was to meet Judy. I glanced at my watch again. 11:54 a.m. Any minute now.

Judy POV

As I walked out of my apartment, I put my nose in the wind. the warmth hitting my fur, "Ah, what a beautiful day." I grinned. Normally I would've walked to the park, it was only a few blocks down, but with my leg, I was forced to drive. As I drove, the reality of what was about to happen was settling in, My parents would not be comfortable with this, never in a million years. Still, I wasn't really nervous, more excited, ready to see where this could go. As I approached the park, I saw how packed it was. It seemed that every animal in Zootopia had decided to go to the park today too! I craned my neck, searching for a parking spot, but none were to be found.

After searching for about 30 minutes, I gave up and turned back home. it was just easier to walk than to try to find a spot in this mess. I parked back right where I left it and began limping over to the park.

Nick POV

It was noon now, and no sign of Judy. I glanced around nervously. "There are a lot of animals here, maybe I missed her, Or she's stuck in traffic. Yeah, I bet that's it." Satisfied with my conclusion, I leaned against a streetlamp, pulled out my phone and opened Furbook. I scrolled and scrolled, looking up ever so often just to make sure I didn't miss her. Seconds passed, then minutes. I eyed my watch. 12:21 p.m. I gulped, it was unlike her to be this late, Did she change her mind? Did she forget? Thoughts were swirling in my head, none of them helping. She only lives a few blocks away, traffic surely can't be this bad. I started nervously pacing. Was she scared to be seen with a fox? Had she met someone else? Was it me? Did I do something wrong? What did-

"NICHOLAS P. WILDE!"

I looked up, hearing my full name, and there she was. She was in rolled up jean shorts, and a pink plaid short sleeved shirt. My jaw nearly dropped. Why did she have to always look so damn adorable?

Judy POV

I walked as fast as I could, unfortunately my limp held me back. Along the way, I thought about Nick. Even just thinking about him brought a smile to my face. He had visited me everyday since I was shot, bringing food and talking to me, getting me whatever I had needed. He had even offered to keep up my housework, cleaning and doing laundry for me. My smile grew larger, I had never really seen that side of Nick much, the sweet and compassionate side I always knew was there, just could never get to. I had finally reached the park, but I was much later than I wanted to be. At first, I didn't spot him. Had he bailed on me? I mean sure, I was late, but I figured he would still be here!

Then I caught a glimpse of him. It was so crowded, and with me being so, well, little, it was hard to get a clear look. But as I inched closer, I noticed his fur was different. Smooth and gleaming, much unlike it usually was. Had he….combed it for me? I could feel myself blushing. No, it must just be a trick of the light. Then, noticed what he was wearing, a light blue shirt. He knew that was my favorite color. I could feel my blush deepen. I didn't know he owned any other clothes besides Hawaiian shirts and his uniform! "Hey!", I called out. He was pacing, looking at the ground, almost defeated looking. He hadn't had seemed to here me. "Hey Nick!" Again, no response. "NICHOLAS P. WILDE!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. His head swiveled in my direction, and his demeanor changed completely. His ears perked up, his tail started wagging, his back became more straight, and he put on that smirk of his.

"Hey Juds, nice of you to show up." He teased as he approached me. As he got closer, I smelled something strong, something different. Was he wearing cologne? If he was, it smelled fantastic.

"Sorry, I spent forever searching for a parking spot, I just ended up walking here." He frowned. "Even with your leg? Juds, the doctors told you you could walk on it, but only short distances." I waved my paw dismissively. "I appreciate your concern, but really, I'm fine." I flashed him my best smile. He smiled back at me.

"Well, do I got a surprise in store for you. Follow me?" He held his paw out, gesturing for me to take it. I obliged, and he started leading me through the park.

Nick POV

Holding Judy's hand was one of the best feelings I had ever felt. Almost as good as when I first asked her out. Unfortunately, that was almost immediately ruined by the pairs of eyes that stared at us as we walked past. "No, no," I thought to myself, "These animals are not going to ruin this for me." I pushed those thoughts out of my head, and started staring back at some of the animals, almost as if I was challenging them to say something. This seemed to get some eyes off of us, as right as i stared back at an animal, they instantaneously looked away. I started feeling pretty confident about us. I looked down at Judy, she was obviously bother by the stares too. "Hey," I nudged her side with our clasped hands. She looked up at me with those amethyst eyes, and my heart nearly melted. "If you stare back at them, they'll look away. Watch." I gestured to a wolf staring at us judgmentally. I whipped my eyes towards him, giving him the biggest stink eye i think i had ever given. His mouth opened in shock, he blinked a few times, and looked at the ground, coughing uncomfortably. She laughed, clearly more comfortable. "You try now."

She picked out a giraffe sitting on a bench, and gave it the same look she gave me when I told an especially bad joke. The giraffe narrowed her eyes at her, then went back to reading her book. I couldn't help but chuckle, seeing such a small animal like Judy intimidate a giraffe. She beamed back up at me. "See, nothing to worry about Carrots."

Judy POV

Nick and I made it sort of a game, seeing which one of us could alarm the most animals. We weren't really keeping score, but I was pretty sure I had won. Eventually, he led me near a wooded part of the park, and pointed out a path I wouldn't have noticed unless he did so.

"It's a bit of an uphill climb, sure you can make it sweetheart?" He winked at me. I blushed, and looked down at my leg. it was already sore from walking to the park, and had gotten even worse walking through the park. Uphill climbing? That was out of the question.

He gave me a look of concern and caring. "Here Officer, let me help you." He advanced towards me, and scooped me up.

"Nick?! What are you doing?! Nick, put me down!" I said sternly.

"Well, do you want to see your surprise or not?" He questioned. He looked at me, waiting for an answer, I sighed. "Fine, just go quickly, your arms are uncomfortable!" I lied, actually enjoying the sensation of Nick's sturdy arms wrapped around me.

He smirked, seeing through my lie. "You need to work on your poker face Carrots." I tried to turn my face away from him to conceal my blush, but it was too late. He chortled as he started walking up the hill. As we continued up the hill, I noticed he seemed to be avoiding the short path, opting to take the longer routes. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and buried my head into his chest. I hoped this hill was ten miles high.

Alas, we reached the top of the hill, and Nick set me down. I regained my balance, then looked out at our view and gasped. The whole park was visible, I could see children running around, almost looking like ants, animals fishing from the lake, and the skyline of Zootopia in the background.

"Nick, this is gorgeous!" I exclaimed.

"Yeah, I thought you might like it. It's even better with you up here." He turned to me and beamed. I turned away and blushed. When I turned back, Nick was sitting on a blanket next to a basket, looking at me, with an arm extended. "Come here Cottontail."

I limped towards him and fell into his arms. He wrapped one around my shoulder, the other clasping my paw. We sat there a while, just like that, staring at our lovely view (even though I'm fairly certain Nick looked more at me) until I noticed the gurgling noise coming from my stomach.

He laughed. "Hungry Juds? I packed you some stuff in that basket, pick what you want." I nodded, and unhooked my paw from his. I opened the basket, hoping that he had remembered I didn't eat bugs like he did. My stomach sank when I saw bugs, lots of them. But they weren't the kind of bugs Nick ate. They were ants.

Nick POV

She took her paw out of mine, and opened the basket. I heard her make a slight shriek. "Something wrong Juds?" She looked back at me, and I could tell by her expression something wasn't right. I craned my neck to see what the problem was,, but her body was blocking the basket. "Juds, what happened?"

"Uh, there are some bugs in there."

"Oh yeah sorry, those are for me. I packed some carrots and celery for you!" Her expression remained unchanged. "Spit it out, what's wrong?"

"Well, your bugs…..they uh….well they have some ant friends."

I felt my stomach drop. I hadn't even thought about that! I quickly rose to my feet and grabbed the basket and looked inside. Sure enough, thousands of ants were squirming inside. I slammed the basket to the ground, making Judy flinch. "This can't be happening, this was supposed to be perfect!" I thought. I dropped the ground, knees pulled up to my chest, and my head buried in them.

"Nick?" Judy said softly, "Nick, it's okay, really, we can-"

"No, really Judy, it's not okay."

She got up and sat down beside me. She put her paw on my back, "Nick, honestly, it's fine, we can just go grab something from a food truck, yeah?"

"All I wanted was this day to be perfect for you, I had it all planned out for weeks, and now it's ruined."

She paused for a moment. "Nicky." That certainly got my attention. She had only called me that once before. I lifted my head and looked into her eyes. "Today didn't have to be perfect, I didn't expect it to be. All I wanted was to be with you, to spend time with you, you're enough Nick. You're all I need." She smiled sweetly at me. Without realizing it, I flung myself at her, pulling her into a close embrace. We sat there for I don't know how long, but it was glorious. To my dismay, she pulled away. "How about some ice cream, huh? I hear there's a great place just down the street from here." I smiled warmly at her

"That sounds great Cottontail."

Judy POV

Nick stood up and offered his paw to me. I took it, and he helped me up. I threw away the basket in a nearby trash can, it was beyond salvageable, and he folded the blanket up. "Ready to go back down?" I nodded, and he picked me back up. I hung onto him, tighter this time, allowing no space between him and I. I was again hoping the hill would have magically gotten much larger, but no amount of wishing helped. Once we arrived at the bottom of the hill, I took his paw in mine, and we exited the woods. We continued our game of staring back at animals, but for some reason, I wasn't as worried about what other animals thought about us. I knew what I wanted, and I wasn't going to let these animals ruin that.

We arrived at the ice cream shop, a quaint place run by a family of cows. I marveled at all the flavors they had, strawberry, carrot cake, blueberry, they even had a celery flavor! I looked back at Nick, his eyes almost as bright as mine. But he wasn't fixated by the ice cream flavors like I was, he was focused on me. I blushed as deeply as I ever had, and ordered a scoop of strawberry, blueberry, carrot cake, and celery in one gigantic bowl. Nick ordered crickets and grasshoppers ice cream (yuck!), and we headed to a table outside, our heads covered by a pink and white striped umbrella.

"Wait." Nick said, "let's take a selfie." He whipped out his phone, and held it high over our heads. "Ready?"

Holding the bowl in my paws, I smiled back up at the camera. "One...two...three!" I heard the snap of the camera, and at that same moment, felt Nick's lips kiss the top of my head. I looked up at him in shock and embarrassment, still trying to comprehend what he had just done, blushing furiously. He just grinned at me, showing me the picture. It captured the exact moment he his lips touched my head.

"That's a keeper!" He exclaimed. "Maybe even good enough for my home screensaver! Or I could send this to Clawhauser, he really seems to enjoy us together…"

"Nicholas P. Wilde, you're lucky I even let you take that picture, and I swear to god if you send that to him…" He let out the loudest laugh I've ever heard come out of him. I started to laugh too. We looked like idiots, a fox and a bunny, laughing it up outside an ice cream shop. But I didn't care. I was with him. And that's about as perfect this date could get.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Judy POV

I was walking up Nick's apartment complex steps, absolutely exhausted. It was my first day back after my accident. just wanting to relax with Nick. It was night now, probably around 7:30, I didn't know for sure, and I didn't really care. All I wanted was Nick's arms around me. We had gotten into the habit of being together sometimes going to my apartment, sometimes going to his. We did whatever we wanted, watched movies, listened to music, played games, or just talked, enjoying each other's company. But now with me going to work, our schedule was going to look a lot different. Yes, Nick was important, but work would have to be my top priority. As much as I enjoyed Nick, I couldn't give up my dream just to be with him.

I stopped in front of his door, apartment 727. I knocked with all the energy I had left, and the door opened almost immediately. Without even looking, I fell into the fox's arms.

"Well, well, what do we have here?"

I snapped awake, no long in a daze. That was not Nick's voice. I was indeed in a fox's arms, but the fox's fur was blondish gray, unlike Nick's bright red fur. I pushed myself away from the strange fox, brushing myself off.

"Heh, sorry about that. Is this still Nick Wilde's apartment or do I have the wrong room?"

"Ahh...you must be Judy! Nick wouldn't shut up about you! Although he failed to mention you were a rabbit…" he trailed off at the end of his sentence. He turned his head back into the apartment. "NICK? NICK CAN YOU COME TO THE DOOR? JUDY'S HERE!" I heard a faint "Coming!" Seconds later, Nick was at the door, still in his uniform. Strange, usually he couldn't wait to get out of it.

"Thanks Dylan, I got it from here." Nick said to the other fox. The fox, Dylan I suppose, nodded and headed back into the apartment.

"Uh Nick, mind explaining why you have another fox with you in there."

"Who, Dylan? Oh, he's an old friend of mine back in grade school, we used to prank the teachers and pick on the other kids.." His face morphed into a faint smile, as if he was remembering the times he had spent with the fox. "Anyway, he's new to Zootopia and needed a place to stay for a few nights, before he can find an apartment of his own."

"Oh." I said plainly. On one paw, it was sweet of Nick to help the fox, but on the other, that meant a lot less alone time between him and I, at least in the foreseeable future.

"Sorry I didn't tell you, he was sitting outside my apartment when I got back from work today. Speaking of work, I told Bogo I'd take the night shift tonight."

"Oh." I said again. My heart sank. I had barely gotten to see Nick today, with all the paperwork I had to get caught up on. He detected the disappointment in my voice.

"Aw I'm sorry Juds. If I could get out of it I could but...hey I have an idea! Would you mind showing Dylan around Zootopia! I told him I'd give him the tour, but now with you here, you could do it! Plus you could look for apartments, get him out of our fur sooner." He smiled. "You up for it Hopps?" I thought about it. I was so exhausted from work today, but if it could get Dylan out of here sooner…

"Alright no problem!"

"Great! Thanks Juds! I owe you one!" He glanced at his watch. "I'd better head down to the station, you two have fun!" He kissed me on the top of my head, then left, leaving just me and Dylan.

I walked into his apartment. "Hey Dylan?" The fox's head popped out of the refrigerator. "Yeah?"

"Nick wants me to show you around Zootopia, ready to go?"

"Sure, one sec, let me grab my coat." Before I knew it, I was showing Dylan all that there was to see in Zootopia, and which apartments he could afford and couldn't. Dylan was an interesting animal. Unlike Nick, he was quiet, reserved, I felt like I was only seeing what was on the surface. However, the whole thing just felt...uncomfortable. I would catch him stealing glances at me throughout our tour, something that was reserved for Nick. Since Zootopia is so large, it took about an hour and a half, until we finally arrived back at Nick's place. I decided to go back into his apartment with Dylan to wait for Nick, I needed to see him one more time. Once we got back in, I flopped down on his couch, so tired I ignored the mess around me. Dylan jumped in Nick's armchair, something even I was forbidden in sitting in unless Nick was sitting there as well.

"Thanks for the tour Judy, I really appreciated it."

"No problem." I sighed. I closed my eyes, wishing Nick was here instead of Dylan. A few moments of uncomfortable silence passed.

"So you two are dating, yes?"

"Yeah, for a couple of weeks now."

"How do you put up with him?" I laughed, thinking about Nick's humor, sometimes crass and rough, some people couldn't handle it.

"He's a good guy, once you break through to him."

"Really? I mean as a kid, he was similar, but now...well, I just expected he would have matured past that." I shrugged my shoulders harmlessly. Yes, Nick could definitely be immature sometimes, but he's a sweetie at heart.

"So why a fox?"

"Why not? Just because we're different species doesn't mean we can't be together."

"But why specifically this fox? From what I noticed, people don't seem to take him too seriously. And I mean, how could you? He's a disgrace to foxes, a walking stereotype, a-"

"Enough!" I yelled, scrunching my eyes shut. How could Nick's friend be talking about him like this?

A few more moments passed. "Have you ever thought what it would be like to be with a real fox?" I opened my eyes and looked over at him. His eyes were open wide, his face in almost a sneer.

"Excuse me?"

"You know, an upgrade, someone who could really show you what a fox was really like. Nick? He's turned so soft he's practically a pillow now." He was slowly advancing towards me, his sneer broadening. It was similar to Nick's smirk, but it was more aggressive, less playful.

"I'm perfectly fine, thank you very much." I said sternly, slowly backing up. Suddenly, he jumped on me. "HEY! YOU GET OFF OF M-" My voice stopped, his paw has clasped over my mouth. My eyes widened, adrenaline and fear flowed through my veins.

"Aww, is the little bunny scared?' He said in a mocking tone, putting on a fake pouty face. It suddenly turned back into a sneer. "Let's see what this little rabbit has to offer." He laughed.

What do I do, I need to defend myself, but with what? Thoughts flowing through me almost as fast as the fear. I felt him touch my chest, and he slipped his paw under my shirt, still quietly laughing. Feeling this, my reflexes kicked in. I kicked him as hard as I could, thankfully landing right on his crotch. I remembered I was still in uniform, and quickly reached for my gun, pulling it on him. He was on the floor, writhing in pain from my kick. I cocked my gun and pointed at his head. He looked up at me, now in full rage.

"OUT!" I screamed, gesturing to the door. "I SAID GET OUT!"

"Judy, I'm sorry this was all just a big misunderstanding, it's okay, just put the gun down." He was pleading, I almost felt sorry for him.

"DID YOU NOT JUST HEAR ME? GET OUT YOU SCUMBAG, GET OUT OR I SWEAR I'LL SHOOT."

"Okay, okay. He slowly got to his feet. Never taking the gun off of his head, I gestured once again to the door.

"Get out, and don't you dare ever come back."

"Judy, please, let me talk to-"

"NO!" I shrieked, pushing him out of the apartment. Once he was out, I quickly locked the door.

"THIS IS A MISTAKE JUDY! YOU HEAR ME? I HAVE SOME FRIENDS THAT AREN'T AFRAID OF A LITTLE BUNNY LIKE YOU!"

I put my back to the door and slowly sank down, tears now flowing freely down my cheeks, still trying to comprehend what had just happened. Nick, I needed Nick right now more than I ever have. Paws shaking, I reached down into my pocket and pulled on my phone, and called Nick.

Nick POV

I sucked in air, filling up my cheeks, then blowing it out of my mouth, Geez, night duty was boring, Nothing but looking a security cameras, waiting for something remotely interesting to happen. I took a sip out of my coffee, the only thing keeping me conscious. Even that was starting to wear off. What I wouldn't give to be with Judy right now.

Suddenly, my phone rang, jolting me awake. I took it out of my pocket, recognizing Judy's custom ringtone she had picked out, "Try Everything" by Gazelle.

"Hey Juds, what's up?" Immediately I could tell something was wrong. Her voice was shaky, she was obviously crying. "Hey, are you okay? What happened?"

"Nick,.. I….he...Nick..please….he tried to….." She then broke down crying even more, unable to finish her sentence. I sat straight up. I'll be right there Judy. Are you still at my apartment?" I started gathering my things, packing up. I heard a faint yes. "Don't worry Juds, I'm heading there right now." I hung up the phone, and left the room. I stopped as I remembered what I was supposed to be doing. I headed towards Bogo's office, hoping I could convince him to let me leave. My knuckles rapped on his office door.

"Hmhp." I entered his office. "Wilde. What do you want? Didn't I tell you not to leave that room until your shift was over?"

"I'm sorry sir, something's come up with Judy, it's an emergency." He snorted at me. "Wilde, you're lucky I let you two continue to be partners after learning of your out of work relationship, and I can't have you leaving your post for her." I winced, this was the expected answer.

"Yes sir, I'm very thankful for that, but this is truly an emergency sir, I can work the next week of night shifts if you let me go tonight sir, please!" I was practically on my knees now, pleading. He snorted again.

"Just this one time Wilde. And you better be here for the next week of night shifts."

"Thank you sir, thank you so much. I will be." I quickly exited the room, wanting to get to Judy as fast as possible. I sprinted to my car, and sped probably 40 miles over the speed limit home. I parked my car, ran into the building and up the steps. I fumbled with the key to my apartment, my paws shaking, struggling to fit the key into the lock. Finally I slipped it in, and opened the door, closing it behind me. \

"Judy? Judy, are you here? What's wrong? Is Dylan still here?" I could hear my sink running, then stopping after my announcement to the seemingly empty apartment. Suddenly, Judy appeared, weeping uncontrollably, and flung herself into my arms. I caught her, a bit shocked at first, then held her tightly until she was able to somewhat calm down. I petted her head, feeling her soft fur between my fingers. When she was able to talk, I sat her on the couch, obviously extremely concerned. What had happened? And where was Dylan?

"Hey Cottontail." I purred softly, looking into her still leaking eyes. "What happened."

She took a deep breath, trying to collect herself. Finally, she started talking. "I...I showed...him around, we looked at apartments. We….we walked back into your apartment...I was on the couch, he was in the armchair….we started talking...then he…" Her voice cracked. "He jumped on me….and he...touched me." She burst into tears again. "I kicked him and pulled my gun and made him leave, but, but." She flung herself into me again.

I was in shock. Dylan, my childhood friend? How could he do this? I started crying too. "I'm so sorry Judy, I'm so sorry, it's all my fault, I should've never left you alone with him. I..I didn't think he would.." I trailed off, unable to talk through the tears.

"I know Nick, there's...no way you could've known." We sat like that on the couch, Judy on top of me, crying into my uniform, my chin nestled into her head. I could hear her sobs growing quieter, as were mine, the next thing I knew I was asleep.

I woke up, looking around, wondering why I was on my couch, Last night's events came rushing at me, like a stampede of bull. I looked up, and there was Judy, still asleep, curled up into a ball on my chest. She was surprisingly light, I wouldn't have known she was there unless I had looked. I started massaging her head and ears, something I had found she quite enjoyed. I leaned my head back and looked at the ceiling, trying to enjoy this moment. 5, 10, 15 minutes passed. I looked back at Judy. She was awake now, staring at me with loving eyes, softly smiling.

"Hey Carrots." She closed her eyes again, still smiling. "Listen….. I'm really sorry...I didn't think he would ever do anything like that."

"She opened her eyes back up. She was no longer smiling. I continued to massage her head. "Nick, it's not your fault. it's no one's fault but his."

"You know, we can report him for this. We should report him for this."

"Nick, that's not ness-"

"Judy," I gave her a serious look, cutting her off. "We can't let him get away with this. He needs to be punished for what he did to you." She nodded. "Can't we try to forget about that for now? We can deal with that later. Right now, I want to enjoy my favorite fox in the whole wide world." She smiled, moving closer to my face. I smiled back at her.

"Sure thing Cottontail."

Suddenly, our lips met. I opened my eyes in shock, seeing her face right next to mine. It was even more beautiful this close. I closed my eyes, living in the euphoria of the moment. The connection broke, I opened my eyes to see a blushing Judy staring back at me. She started giggling, then I did. Suddenly, the whole room was filled with our laughter.

Judy POV

Despite all that had just happened, being with Nick made me feel safe, secure. And that kiss...well it didn't fix everything, but I felt something that had broke inside me after last night started to heal. It may never be fully back to where it was, but with Nick...it seemed possible. I knew what I needed to do about Dylan, but right now, all I needed was Nick, and I could tell all Nick wanted was me. And if that didn't feel like one of the best feelings in the world, well, I don't know what else would.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Judy POV

It was Friday afternoon, I was sitting at my station, tapping my foot, watching as the seconds ticked by on the clock beside my desk. I stood up, peering over my cubicle, trying to see what Nick was doing in the cubicle across from me. He didn't even noticed me looking at him, he was hard at work, typing furiously on his keyboard, his eyes narrowed, intensely staring at the computer screen. I sighed, and sat back down. I slouched in my chair, having finished my work hours ago. Of course Nick waited until the last second, bugging me while I was trying to type my reports. I swear, that fox really got on my nerves sometimes.

I glanced at the clock again. Nick had 13 minutes to finish his reports, and based on the speed he was typing at, he knew that too. Suddenly, the typing stopped.

"Hey Juuuddyyy." He was using the voice he would use anytime he wanted something. I looked up, seeing his face bending over the wall that separated out cubicles. He was also employing his puppy-dog eyes.

"Yes Nicholas?"

"Since you're such an amazing police officer, could you maybe do a report for me?" He batted his eyelids at me. I tried to maintain a stern look on my face, but he was making it difficult. I folded my arms across my chest.

"Nick, I'm not here to do your work for you. You should've started earlier instead of nagging me." I glanced at my clock again. "You have 9 minutes." His innocent smile turned into a frown. "Aw, c'mon Hopps, just one tensy weeny little report? Plllleeeaaassee?"

"Nick, I said no. You're wasting precious time now." His frown turned into a scowl.

"Fine then, I guess I'll just have to go tell Clawhauser about our little secret…"

"Nicholas P. Wilde you wouldn't dare." He shrugged his shoulders.

"It's either the reports get done, or Clawhauser finds out about everything." He smirked devilishly at me. "Your choice."

I let out an angry groan. "Fine! Send them to my computer." He smiled, and sat back down at his desk.

"Sent!" He said in a much too pleased tone. I heard his fingers started tapping the keyboard again. I opened the document he sent me and quickly started working. I typed as fast as I could, angry with Nick for making me do this, but also not wanting him to get in trouble with Bogo. He was already on his bad side.

"Finished Nick."

"Just in time too! I finished mine just now." I sent him the report, which he sent with all his other reports to Bogo. I glanced at my clock. We had made it with 45 seconds to spare. I leaned back in my chair, only to see Nick's head appear over my cubicle again, grinning. "Thanks Cottontail! I owe you one!"

"This was a one time thing, right Nick?"

"Of course it was!" His grin grew bigger.

"Liar."

He stepped back, face in overdramatic shock. "Who, me?! A liar? Why would I ever do such a thing?" He smirked at me. I rolled my eyes.

"God, you are so insufferable!" I stood up and kicked my chair back, and started packing up my things.

"Judy, wait." I ignored him, and having grabbed all I needed, began walking away, not looking back.

"Judy, wait! I was kidding about the Clawhauser thing, Judy!" I stormed off, trying to stay stern, forcing myself not to look back, knowing I might break if I did. I walked out the front doors, and headed to my car. I opened the door, slid my things in, then sat down, and started the car. As I was driving off, I saw Nick burst through the doors of the station, trying to wave me down, yelling at me. I ignored him, and turned out of the parking lot, heading home.

Nick POV

I ran to the doors, of the station, trying to get to Judy before she left. I slammed opened the doors of the station, and saw her car pulling out of her spot. "Judy!" I yelled, waving my arms. She glanced at me, then glanced away. "Judy, wait, let's talk about this!" To my dismay and shock, she navigated through the parking lot, and turned out. That stuck up bunny! She could've at least let me talk to her!I walked towards my car, and headed home.

Once I was in my apartment, I sat on my couch, thinking about what had happened earlier, trying to see it from her point of view. Sure, maybe I was a bit too pushy, and threatening her with Clawhauser may have gone a bit too far… I felt a pang of guilt in my stomach. I needed to see her, to talk to her. I grabbed my keys and headed out my door to my car.

Judy POV

I sat on my bed, watching TV, fuming at Nick. If he had done his job like he was supposed to, and stopped bugging me at work, we wouldn't be in this mess! I grunted, frustrated, it wasn't fair of him to put me in the spot he did today. I then heard someone rapping on my apartment door.

I rose from my bed, and walked towards my apartment door. Looking through my peephole, (one I had to make to accommodate my height), and was met with Nick's red fur. I sighed, I had no choice, he knew I was home, I had to confront him. I opened the door to see Nick leaning against the hallway wall, wearing that light-blue shirt he knew I loved. "Hey Cottontail." He smiled sweetly at me. I did not smile back. He let out a nervous laugh. "Listen, about today, I didn't know what I was thinking, I should've started earlier, and I shouldn't have put you in that position." Well at least he was self-aware. I did appreciate the apology, but I had something else on my mind.

"Nick, if you can't handle us being partners and stay focused, I think you're going to need to find a new one." He looked at me with shock and hurt. 'I'm not saying we're breaking up, but if you can't focus while you're working because of me, well, it's just going to be bad for both of us." His expression almost broke me, sadness and hurt, with a bit of anger and misunderstanding.

"The only reason why I haven't been able to focus was because, well, I've been thinking about us, our relationship!" I looked around nervously. Our relationship wasn't exactly public knowledge yet.

"Get in here before someone hears you." I pulled him inside, and we sat down on my couch.

"I just, I've been thinking about us, and just, well, what happened with Dylan.." The room quieted. Ever since that night, Dylan had disappeared, and it was still an ongoing investigation at ZPD.

"Nick, we talked about this, it wasn't your fault." He looked at me, his jade eyes filling with tears.

"I just can't stop thinking about it, his hand on you. I...guess I just feel like I need to be near you now, like I have to protect you. I don't want anything to happen to you ever again." I could feel tears spring to my eyes.

"Oh, Nicky.." He collapsed into my arms.

"I...I don't know what I'd do without you, Juds. After you being shot, then Dylan….I can't let anything like that happening to you again. I won't let anything to happen again." I was so taken aback, I never really thought of how these things were affecting him. At least, not to the degree they were.

He looked me straight in the eyes, tears no longer flowing. "There's….there's been something else I've been thinking about…I was distracted because...well. because…" He stopped.

"C'mon Nick, spit it out."

"I love you." I stared at him in complete shock and surprise, I could feel my cheeks warming up, I could tell I was blushing furiously.

"I love you too."

He caressed my face, and his lips met mine, passionately kissing me. I slipped my tongue into his mouth, and he welcomed it openly. As seconds passed, our kiss became more passionate, more intense, but Nick was making sure I felt comfortable, not pressing too hard.

We broke off our kiss, and I looked up at the fox, giggling. He started giggling too.

"So Cottontail, want to watch a movie?"

I nodded. Nick stood up, and offered his paw to me. I took it, and he led me to my room, where my TV was. I picked out a movie, Mad Yak : Furry Road, and cuddled up with Nick in my bed. Halfway through the movie, my eyelids started to drop, and I noticed Nick's doing the same. I we fell asleep, intertwined in each other's arms, the last thing I heard before falling asleep was: "I'm never letting go, Cottontail."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Nick POV

I slowly stirred awake, opening my eyes only to be blinded by sunlight streaming through the window. I scrunched my eyes tightly and turned my head over, brushing against something soft. My arms were wrapped around Judy's waist, my paws on her stomach. She was still sound asleep, snoring softly. I nuzzled the back of her head with my chin, kissing her tenderly. She let out a soft groan, starting to awaken herself. Her ears started twitching, brushing against my cheeks. She soon flipped over, her nose pressed against mine. I smiled, staring into her piercing purple eyes, still drowsy from sleep.

"Hey Carrots." I smiled lovingly, and gave her a peck on the lips.

"Hi Nicky." she said back with a sleepy smile of her own.

Suddenly, I heard a knock on the door. My ears dropped, why did someone have to come to the door now? Judy sighed, and started to get up, but I pulled her back.

"If it's important, they'll come back."

She smiled, clearly not wanting to get up either. The knock came again.

"I'll be quick, I'm sure it's just someone trying to sell something." she said as she got up.

I grimaced, not wanting her to leave my side. After she walked out the bedroom door, I heard her shuffling towards the front door, opening it after a few moments. The door creaked open, and I heard Judy gasp.

Judy POV

I begrudgingly left my bed and Nick, dragging my feet towards my front door. Once to the door, I opened it with one paw, while rubbing the sleep out of my eyes with the other. I looked at my visitors. I gasped, not expecting to see the two faces beaming back at me.

"Mom! Dad!" I said said enthusiastically, hoping Nick would hear me. I still hadn't told them about Nick and I, and if they found him here...especially in my bed...well...I probably wouldn't be in Zootopia for much longer. Not to mention I definitely wouldn't be allowed within a mile radius of Nick.

"Judy!"

My dad pulled me into a bear hug, lifting my feet off the ground. I could feel the embrace knocking all the air out of my lungs. I wheezed, trying to get air into my chest.

"Hi….Dad." I managed to squeak. "Hard...to...breathe…"

"Oh, sorry!" He said apologetically, releasing me. I gasped for air, trying to regain my composure.

"Got a little carried away there!" He said with a nervous laugh.

I stepped back, turning to my mom.

"Hi Mom." I smiled, pulling her into a hug, trying to buy time for Nick to figure something out.

"Hi sweetie." She said, planting a kiss on my forehead.

I let go, trying to figure out what to do.

"Come in, come in." I opened the door wider, allowing my parents in.

"Love the place Juds!" My mom exclaimed.

I smiled nervously, nodding.

"Sorry it's a bit messy. I just woke up." I said, trying to excuse the mess of food wrappers Nick left everywhere.

"So, what brings you guys here?"

"We wanted to see you and see how you were doing! We've missed you so much back at the Burrow!" My dad said as he flopped into a chair.

"We thought it'd be a nice surprise for you!" My mom added.

I sat down on my couch, my mother joined me. She took my paw in hers.

"So, how's the job treating you?" She asked.

"Good! Great actually! I love it so far! It's exactly what I had dreamed about!" I answered enthusiastically.

My parents smiled back at me.

"That's wonderful dear! Have you had any accidents?"

"Nope, it's not that dangerous." I lied.

I hadn't told my parents about getting shot. If they knew, they would absolutely flip and demand that I return home.

"That's good. Besides, they wouldn't put a little bunny like you into much danger I suppose." my dad stated, as he rose from the armchair.

I laughed uncomfortably, hurt that all my father saw in me was a fragile bunny.

"Do you have a bathroom? I haven't gone since we left early this morning." He remarked, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

I gulped. The only way to my one bathroom was through my bedroom, where I had left Nick.

"Y-Yeah! through my bedroom and to the right." I said, hoping my nerves didn't show in my voice.

As my dad left the room, I prayed, hoping Nick had hid somewhere. My dad walked into my bedroom, and I heard him make no sound. I let go a breath I hadn't realized I had been holding in.

'Thank you, you sly fox Nick.' I thought to myself.

I heard my bathroom door open, and my dad screamed at the top of his lungs.

Nick POV

"Mom! Dad!" I heard Judy yell, almost as if she directing it more towards me than them.

My heart started racing, a pit in my stomach formed. If her parents were to catch me, it would be all over. Judy had talked about her parents briefly, and from I gathered, they were extremely controling, especially her father. I had to hide...FAST!

I got out of her bed silently, looking around, trying to figure out what to do. The window? That was out of the question. We were on the 27th floor, and her parents would hear the window opening for sure. Under the bed? I leaned down, seeing if the space between the floor and her bed was big enough for me to fit under. Nope...her bed was too close to the floor. There was no way I was fitting under there. I looked over to her bathroom. Not exactly the most glamourous hiding spot, but it's better than most places I've hidden in. I snuck over to the door, trying to avoid making the floor squeak.

"Come in, come in!" I heard Judy say, the sound of footsteps shuffling inside heard before the front door squeaked closed.

I entered the bathroom and slowly closed the door behind me, trying to make as little noise as possible. Once the door was secure, I was in pitch black. I stood still, not wanting to move and risk knocking something over. I could hear Judy talking to her parents outside, loud enough to hear, but not loud enough to make out what they were saying.

Suddenly, I could hear the padding of paws outside the door, advancing towards the bathroom. I froze stiff, and before I knew it, Judy's dad was standing in front of me, eyes wide in complete shock. It was only a moment before he let out an ear splitting scream.

"JUDY! THERE'S A FOX IN YOUR BATHROOM!" He shouted in fear, not taking his eyes off of me for even a second.

I laughed nervously,

"Erm, hello Mr, Hopps." I tried, extending my paw towards him.

He looked at me in bewilderment as Judy appeared behind him, eyes wide in fear, but for a different reason.

"JUDY! DO YOU KNOW THIS...THIS THING?"

Judy tried to speak, but all that came out was a series of squeaks.

"JUDY?!"

"Dad, I can explain, just let him out of the bathroom." she finally managed to say.

Judy's dad took about 10 steps back, allowing me ample room to exit the bathroom. I looked nervously at Judy, who hadn't moved at all. I glanced over to her bedroom doorframe to see her mother standing in it, also in shock.

"WELL, EXPLAIN YOURSELF! WHAT IS THIS VERMIN DOING IN YOUR APARTMENT?!" he shouted, his voice dripping with both fear and anger.

I winced at the word vermin, a word I was used to being called.

"Dad, don't talk about him like that!"

"WELL THAT'S WHAT HE IS!"

"Stu!" Judy's mother exclaimed, alarmed.

"Mom, Dad, this is my police partner, Nick." she introduced, her paw gesturing to me.

I gave a slight wave, not really knowing what to do. Judy's father (Stu, I suppose), looked even more bewildered.

"A fox, a police officer? What has happened to this world, a criminal catching criminals!"

That one hurt even more than the vermin comment.

"That still doesn't explain it! Even if he is your partner, why was he hiding in your bathroom? Were you planning on stealing from her?" He accused me.

"No, sir." I said quickly.

He sighed sarcastically, obviously not believing me.

"Well….he's my police partner….but...he's also…" She firmly took my paw in hers, "He's my boyfriend."

Her father looked even more horrified than he did when he first found me. He tried to talk, but only sounds came out. He glanced at our hands, then at me, before finally resting his eyes on her.

"BOYFRIEND?!" He thundered, completely bewildered.

"HE'S A FOX JUDY! YOU'VE SEEN WHAT THEY'VE DONE TO OUR KIND, HOW COULD YOU EVEN BE ASSOCIATED WITH HIM?"

"Dad! He's not like that!" Judy spat back, her voice both fearful and angry as her hand tightened around mine.

"OH, SURE HE'S NOT NOW. BUT JUST YOU WAIT. WHEN HE'S DRAWN YOU IN CLOSE, FINALLY GOTTEN YOU TO TRUST HIM, THAT'S WHEN IT'LL ALL BE OVER!" He yelled, chest heaving.

I looked down at Judy. She was staring in complete shock at her father, starting to cry.

"HOW...HOW COULD YOU SAY THAT? YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW HIM!"

"NO, BUT I KNOW HIS KIND! HOW MUCH DIFFERENT COULD HE BE?"

He now directed his stare at me, furious. I felt a tear drop from my eye. Judy was sobbing now, starting to break down. I saw her mother look at her, sympathy in her eyes.

"AND YOU FOX! YOU STAY AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTER, YOU HEAR ME? SHE IS OBVIOUSLY CONFUSED! I EXPECT YOU'RE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THAT, HM? TRYING TO GET AT HER WHILE SHE'S WEAK? JUDY, I THOUGHT YOU WERE SMARTER THAN THIS!"

"She's right Stu." a voice interrupted, causing all of us to stare at the owner.

Judy's father looked at his wife, shocked.

"YOU'RE TAKING THEIR SIDE?!"

She nodded. Judy's sobbing calmed a bit as she looked up at her mother. her paw was still clasping mine, shaking like a leaf.

"She's right. We don't know this...uh...Nick. At least give him a chance honey."

Stu's expression remained unchanged. He stuttered, incapable of finding words now that he realized there was no one to back him up.

"I'm willing to Stu. I trust Judy and her judgement. If Nick was as bad as you're implying he is, Judy would be the first to know."

He shook his head.

"I knew it was a mistake to let you come to Zootopia."

He looked at Judy.

"I knew something like this was going to happen, but I let you go. And now look what you've done. I don't even know who you are anymore."

Judy POV

"I don't even know who you are anymore."

I looked up at my father, trying to see through the tears. Ironically, I was thinking the same thing.

"Steward! How dare you say that to her!" my mom cried out, horrified at his words.

I looked up at Nick, He was silently crying. He was trying to stay strong, but he was starting break. I could see it in the way his face was twitching. I looked over at my Mother, appreciating her understanding and acceptance. Finally, I looked at my father again, seeing a different man than I once knew.

"If you can't accept me...if you can't accept us...then leave. It's my choice, not yours." I said, not really realizing what I was saying.

I had never really stood up for what I wanted in front of parents, except for when I was able to convince them of my profession.

"Excuse me?"

"I mean it dad. This is what I want. And if you don't like it, then leave."

My father was flabbergasted, and as I looked up at Nick, I could tell he was too.

"Judy, you don't have to do that." Nick said somberly.

"I know."

"I can't believe this! I can't handle this! Not right now!" My father muttered, putting his head in his paws.

"Where did I go wrong? How could this be happening?"

Suddenly, he stormed off, grabbing my mother's paw, dragging her.

"Come on Bonnie. We're leaving."

"But Stu-!" my mother protested.

"Now, Bonnie."

"Stu, we can't just leave her!"

"Yes we can. We can and we will."

Nick and I followed them out of the bedroom and watched as they exited through my door. I immediately started bawling, I couldn't help it. How could a rabbit...a rabbit I had looked up to all my life...say those things about me? Say those things about Nick? It just didn't make sense.

"Judy? Why did you do that?" Nick asked in confusion.

I tried to calm myself enough to look up at him.

"You should've just left me! You didn't have to do that. I would've understood. They're your parents Judy. You can't just let them go!"

I looked into those sweet eyes of his. He was so sincere, so caring, he would lose me just so I could be with my parents. I sniffed, wiping tears from my eyes before replying.

"I'm tired of conforming to what he wants. I've done it for years now and I'm sick of it. If he can't accept you, then he doesn't deserve to be in my life." I said, forcing myself not to start crying again at my words.

His eyes started welling up with tears. He reached down to my face, wiping the tears off my cheeks.

"I love you. I love you so much." He said, pulling me in close to him.

I thought about what I had lost today, a parent I would probably never be able to get back. Oddly, deep down, I was okay with it. Now that I don't have to worry about my every move, I can truly be free.

All those things he said about Nick, I knew they weren't true. After spending so much time with him, I felt that I had finally broken through the fox's walls. Maybe one day, my father would come to his senses, and see the true Nick, like I do.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Judy POV

I stared intently through my night vision goggles. The air was quiet and still, but the silence was broken by Nick's snoring. I removed the goggles and looked over at him. With his mouth open, his tongue hanging out, and his fur all rustled up and sticking out at odd angles, he actually looked kinda adorable. As cute as he looked though, I couldn't let him sleep. I nudged him in the side, to which he gave no response to. I nudged him again, but harder.

"Nick!" I whispered through my teeth.

Still no response. Frustrated, I punched him in the side with all the force I had.

"Nick!" I yelled.

His eyes snapped open, revealing emerald green. He flailed around, startled from my rude awakening. He calmed down after a few seconds then started rubbing where I had hit him, giving me an annoyed look.

"Geez, were you trying to bruise a rib?" He said to me, his voice dripping with sarcasm and drowsiness.

I blushed a bit, not meaning to hit him as hard as I did.

"S..Sorry. But you shouldn't fall asleep during a stakeout Nick!"

We were sitting in my police car, monitoring a building that was a supposed hiding place for a criminal in a case we had been working on.

"Hmph." Nick sighed, somehow making even a noise sound sarcastic.

"I trust you. It's not like you need me to be here. You're the one that made me come, remember?" He remarked.

It was true, I had dragged Nick along, not wanting to be alone. It had taken some bargaining. The fox was adamant about the amount of sleep he got each night. I had even agreed to do whatever Nick wanted after. This was something I was slightly terrified of. I could never fully tell what was going on in the fox's head.

"Whatever!" I exclaimed with an exasperated sigh, turning back to my goggles to survey the building once more.

"Hopps, Wilde? Hopps, Wilde, please come in." A voice from my walkie-talkie said, again breaking the silence.

Another pair of officers were on the stakeout as well, we were supposed to communicate with them every 30 minutes.

I picked up my walkie-talkie.

"All clear over here."

"Clear over here too."

I set the walkie-talkie back down, and rested my paw on the console in the middle of the car. It was only resting there for a few seconds when I felt Nick's paw wrap around the top of mine, holding it there. I jerked it away, not out of hatred or anger, but because Nick and I had agreed to stay professional while on the job. I gave him a stern look.

"Nick, we talked about this, not while we're on the job." I scolded.

He gave me puppy dog eyes, trying to look as innocent as possible.

"Aw, come on Juds, we've been sitting here for hours, nothing's happened! Besides, I just wanted to hold your paw…" he said, his bottom lip sticking out slightly.

I shook my head, seeing right through his deception. I knew what this would lead to. First, it would be just holding paws, then nuzzling, then cuddling, then kissing. Nick could be very...pawsy at times.

"Nick, I said no!" I retorted, becoming increasingly annoyed with Nick's efforts to distract me.

He whined, and all the sudden his arms were around me.

"N..Nick!" I squeaked.

"Aw, come on, I just want to be with my favorite little bunny!"

He was now in my seat, holding me close to his chest. I could feel him gently kissing the back on my neck, working his way up my head. As great as it felt being in his arms, I struggled to get out of his grasp. I had to focus on the job at hand. It was becoming more and more difficult however. His paws were now wrapped around my waist, pulling me in closer to him. He refused to let go, now turning me so I was facing him.

"Nick, we really shouldn't be doing this!"

"Come on. There are two other officers out there. They can handle one guy, can't they?"

Suddenly, his lips were on mine, pulling me into a passionate kiss. I could feel his persuasion taking it's affect on me. He was right, the two other officers were capable of taking on one guy. And Nick's embrace and kiss felt so good….

Eventually, I gave in, kissing him back, pushing him against the seat. Our kiss broke, and he looked up at me, eyes transfixed. My paws were on his shoulders, legs flopped against his thighs, almost as if I was pinning him. He gave me a suggestive smirk.

"Woah hoo hoo, what do we have here? A prey pinning its predator?"

"Oh, shut up." I said with mock annoyance.

I pulled him back in for another kiss, and that's when I heard the knock on the window.

"Uh, is this a bad time?"

Nick POV

I was in heaven. Judy was pressed up against my chest, forcing her lips onto mine, almost as if she was hungry for them. I could feel her whiskers tickling my cheeks, her hot breath steaming up my face. We were intertwined, almost as if we were one, when suddenly I heard a knock on the window.

"Uh, is this a bad time?"

Judy jumped off of me, hitting her head on the roof of her car. I stayed in my seat, dumbfounded and entranced by her, until I saw a tiger's face staring at me through the window, with an expression of anger and awkwardness. I laughed nervously back at him, recognizing the officer's face, not really sure what to do. No one at the station knew about Judy and I except Bogo, Judy made me tell him about us, told me it would be unprofessional if he didn't know. I looked over at Judy, who was giving me the same look the tiger was, but with a lot more anger. She turned, and exited the passenger door. I exited the driver door, and we stood in front of the tiger, who was obviously waiting for an explanation.

"Look, I'm sorry! It was my fault, I made Judy do it, I-"

He put a paw up, stopping my speech.

"Why didn't you answer your walkie-talkie when we called for back-up?"

Judy looked confused, as she had just answered them a few minutes ago. I gulped nervously, tapping my foot on the ground.

"But I swear, we just did answered you, let me go get the walkie!"

She scurried over to the car, and pulled the walkie-talkie out. The button was flashing red, indicating it was turned off. Judy gave me a furious look from inside the car, and I gave her a fake smile back.

"I...may or may not have turned it off so we wouldn't be, ah, interrupted." I said nervously.

I looked up at the tiger.

"Obviously that didn't work." I said under my breath, not loud enough for them to hear.

"NICHOLAS P. WILDE!" I winced at Judy yelling my full name.

I looked at the ground, suddenly interested by it.

"He got away because of you two. We were planning on cornering him once he got in the door! Without you two there, that didn't really work out."

I flatted my ears, realizing how stupid I had been.

Judy POV

I was furious with Nick. We were sitting outside Bogo's office, waiting to hear our fate. I didn't blame the tiger (which we had found out was Officer Wright). He had no choice but to report us. I was tapping my foot anxiously, refusing to look at Nick, though I could feel his eyes on me. It seemed like he wanted to say something, but was unable to think of the words. Whatever they were, they certainly wouldn't help the situation we were in. I buried my head in my paws. What if Bogo fired us? Had I really ruined my dreams just to be with Nick for a little bit? I knew I shouldn't have given into Nick! I knew it was a bad idea! Then again, it wasn't completely his fault, I should've had more control over myself.

I heard Bogo's office door swing open, and our names were called in. Nick and I shuffled into the room, embarrassed and nervous to hear what Bogo had to say. We sat down in two chairs in front of his desk. and I looked up at the bull towering over us. He had a stern and disappointed expression on his face.

"So, did you enjoy the stakeout?"

Silence.

"Sir, it was my fault, I forced Judy to-" Nick started pleading, trying to get me off the hook, but Bogo silenced him.

"To be blunt, I don't care instigated it Mr. Wilde, just that it happened."

Nick looked dejected, and leaned back in his chair.

"If you're going to fire us, don't drag it out, just do it."

"No one's getting fired today Mr. Wilde."

I felt a knot in my stomach release, relief flowed through my body. I could see the same happen to Nick, his face relaxed, his ears perked up, and he let go on the death grip he had had on the chair's arms.

"But, our agreement was that for you two to stay partners, you would have to separate you personal lives from your work lives. Obviously, this has not happened. Which is why, effective now, you two are no longer partners. You will be receiving new ones after a two week suspension without pay."

My ears fell, and Nick looked crestfallen. All the anxiety replaced the relief I had felt. A new partner? Nick was the only one I trusted here! It was great being able to spend the whole day with him. Now that was gone.

"Also, you will be forbidden to consult with each other on any case. The only time you may come in contact while at work is at lunch. If these terms are violated, you will be immediately terminated from the ZPD. Understood?"

"Yes sir." We said in unison, both with melancholy tones.

"You are dismissed."

We got up, and left Bogo's office. We started walking towards the exit of the station.

"Judy, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean for this to get this out of hand, I just...well...I couldn't stop myself!" Nick hurled the words out of his mouth, desperately pleading to me.

I shook my head.

"It...it's not entirely your fault, Nick. I made you come along...and...I didn't exactly stop you when you were…." I admitted.

I blushed, unable to finish the sentence.

"So, what are we going to do now that we're not partners?" Nick said inquisitively, his face back to it's usual smug self.

"Are you going to be able to carry on without me?"

"Me? It's you I'm worried about! You're going to fall apart without me guiding you through everything!"

He laughed, and put his arm around my shoulder. There was no reason to hide our relationship now. The whole station knew at this point.

"Well, if anything good is going to come out of this, it's that we have two weeks of just you and me."

I perked up. I hadn't really thought about it, but he was right. We might as well try to make the best out of this.

"See you tomorrow?" he asked.

I nodded, now at my car in the parking lot. It was dawn now. The sun rising behind us. Nick leaned down and gave me a strong kiss, which I returned. I broke it only to turn to a gaping Clawhauser, who had obviously not yet heard the news. He promptly fainted in response, right there in the parking lot.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Judy POV

I must admit that of all the things I've woken up to...waking up to Nick's face inches from mine was by far the most unexpected. I screamed and leapt back in surprise. How was he there? I had gone to sleep alone last night.

"What are you doing here? HOW are you in here?" I stuttered, still a bit shocked.

He laughed as he twirled a key on a lanyard around his finger.

I smacked myself lightly on the head. Of course...I had given him a spare key to my apartment! I gave it to him after he started coming over so often. That way I wouldn't have to keep answering the door for him.

"Rise and shine Cottontail! You've got a big birthday ahead of you!" He said cheerfully, a grin on his face.

I sat up in bed, too stunned to speak. I had forgotten my birthday! How could I have forgotten? Of course, not to my surprise, Nick had remembered. I raised my nose to the air, smelling something delicious cooking. It smelled like waffles...but there was something different in them. Whatever it was...it smelled absolutely delightful. Nick noticed me sniffing and climbed off my bed, turning to leave my room.

"I made breakfast for you!" He yelled from the kitchen.

"Aw, Nicky, you didn't have to!" I exclaimed as I started to rise from my bed.

He returned to my room, shooing me back into bed.

"Nuh uh, you sit, I'll get anything you need."

With a hesitant nod, I returned to my warm, comfy bed. A few moments later, he set a tray on my lap. My jaw nearly hit the ground. Orange juice, fresh strawberries, and an abundance of celery were lining one giant plate in the middle, which held the real star of the show. They were in fact waffles, but they were orange! Carrot Waffles! They were drenched and drowning in syrup, just the way I liked it. I looked up at Nick, who was beaming with pride at his work.

"Nick! I...I don't know what to say! This is absolutely amazing!"

He and I both knew that if the tray wasn't resting on my lap, I would've jumped into his arms. Instead, I beckoned him down and kissed his cheek.

"I had to practice a few times making waffles at my apartment. I nearly set the fire alarm off! I think they turned out okay though!" He exclaimed, still beaming.

Nick never was much of the cook, so the fact that he did they all for me was pretty astounding. He walked around my bed and sat down next to me. He put his arm around me, nuzzling his chin on the top of my head. I started eating my breakfast, the astounding taste making me feel as if I were in heaven.

I looked up at Nick, my mouth covered in syrup.

"Thish ish amshing!" I said with my mouth full of waffle.

He chuckled.

"You got a little something on your face Carrots."

He started licking the syrup around my mouth dramatically with big, sloppy, wet licks.

'Ni..Nick! St..stop!" I tried to say through my gasps of air and fits of laughter.

I was incredibly ticklish...and Nick knew it. In fact, he exploited it whenever he could. once he had gotten all the syrup off my face, he stopped, smirking at me. I finished my meal...and again...he licked every last morsel off my face, causing me to nearly explode from giggling.

"I'll take this!" he said enthusiastically, taking the tray on my lap.

As he walked out, I admired his fur. He had obviously combed it. It was something he did rarely, but when he did he looked amazing. His tail was even bushier than usual as well. I had never told him, but I secretly loved his tail. I liked wrapping it around myself whenever I got the opportunity. He had started to notice how much I loved it, so now he's started teasing me with it, brushing it under my chin when he walked by. I leaned back in my bed, thinking about how lucky I was to have Nick.

Nick POV

So far so good. I threw the tray in the sink and started washing. I had so much planned for today. I didn't know how we were going to pack it all in! I hummed happily while drying the tray, thinking about all the day had in store for us. First, I was taking her to Sahara Square. Then we were going back to the park where we had our first date. Then to the ice cream shop. Then to dinner, where I had a surprise lined up for her. I had just finished drying the dishes when I heard the padding of Judy's paws on the floor. I could sense she was behind me, but to be sure I flicked my tail and rubbed it against her cheek. I heard her giggle softly. I turned around to see her standing in front of me. She was holding something behind her back, trying to hide it from me.

"Hey Niiicckkkyy, I got something for you."

"Woah there Carrots, are you okay?" I teased, feeling her forehead.

"You know it's your birthday...not mine...right?"

She rolled her eyes.

"Yes Nick, I know. I've just had this for a long time and I thought now would be a good time to give it to you."

She removed her hands from behind her back, and out in her extended paws was a small rectangular box. I gingerly took it, and opened it. Inside was a black leather strap, like one that would go on a watch. Ingrained on the leather was "N +J".

I looked at Judy, beaming at her.

"Judy, it's perfect!" I said happily.

I removed the watch I was wearing, one of my most prized possessions, and took off the strap. I then replaced it with the one Judy had gave me. When that was done, I put the watch back on, turning the face away from me so the engraving was exposed. Now it felt like she was always with me, no matter what.

"I love you so much!"

I picked her up, holding her against my chest. She nuzzled her head under my chin, something rabbits did to show affection. I set her back down, knowing we had to get moving.

I took her paw in mine.

"Come on, I want to go show this off!" I said with a smirk, flashing the watch to her.

Judy POV

We were running everywhere, trying to get to all the places Nick had planned for us to go to. I had never had so much fun. There was so much to do and see! Eventually, we ended back up at the park where we had our first date. I smiled, remembering our staring game, Nick carrying me up the hill, even the ants.

We walked around the park for awhile, just chatting. We stopped at the trail that led up the hill and headed up to our favorite spot. I wished my leg was still in pain just so Nick could carry me up the hill again. Once we got to the top, we sat on the ledge overlooking the city.

The setting sun turned the sky pink, purple, orange and yellow, the light gleaming off the glass buildings of downtown Zootopia in response. I was in Nick's lap, my short legs only coming to his knees. His arms were around my midsection, holding me tight as he rested his chin on top of my head. He then started planting soft kisses on my ears, making them twitch. I bent my neck back, looking up into those green eyes I loved so much. He kissed my nose, then my mouth.

"Hey Juds, I got something for you." He whispered in my ear.

I climbed off his lap and sat next to him, attentive and anxious to see what it was. Nick then pulled out a long, thin box, with a carrot ingrained in gold on the top of the box. He handed it over to me. It was extremely light, almost as if there was nothing in it.

I looked at him suspiciously, wondering if this was a joke. He just gave me a smug grin, eyes half closed. I pryed of the top of the box and gasped at what was inside.

It was a necklace with a silver chain. Attached to the necklace was a silver, cursive N, which was outlined by bright light blue diamonds. I stared at it in awe, wondering how he was able to afford this.

"Nick! It's so...beautiful! But how were you ever able to afford something like this?" I exclaimed, still in awe at the necklace.

"I stole it." He said casually.

I looked up at him in horror, causing him to burst out laughing.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding! I had some money still saved up. I had just enough to get it." He said through his laughter.

"You should've seen your face! It was priceless!"

I blushed with a mock scowl, embarrassed that the fox had tricked me. He reached out his paw, taking the necklace from the box. He then reached around my neck, clasping the necklace around me. The N rested on my sternum, far enough down for me to see when I looked down. I fingered it, admiring it for the treasure it was. I looked back up at Nick and threw my arms around him.

"I love you so much." I whispered in his ear.

"I love you too Cottontail." He whispered back.

He then looked up at the sky.

"It's getting dark though. I should head home."

I nodded, though I was reluctant to let go of him. He drove me to my apartment and stopped outside on the curb.

Before I went back to my apartment, I grabbed his tie and pulled him into a kiss. After a few moments I pulled away and looked him in the eyes.

"Thank you so much Nicky. This was honestly the best birthday ever."

"No problem Carrots." He replied with a smile.

I got out of his car and watched as he drove away.

As I entered my apartment complex, I smiled contently. Being able to spend my birthday with the one I loved most? It was the best present I could've ever hoped to receive.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Nick POV

I was extremely nervous. Today was our first day back at the station after our suspension. That meant we would both be receiving new partners. We had no idea who they would be...and being the smallest two animals in the office...it was likely we would be paired with much larger animals. Animals that could overshadow us easily. The only reason I had joined the ZPD was to be with Judy and now we were forbidden to see each other during the day.

All because of me and my stupidity.

I buried my face in my paw as I sat on the edge of my bed. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the N+J on my wrist. Seeing that gave me a boost of vigor and I stood up to face what the day had in store for.

I stopped for a second. That was something Judy would say. I chuckled. That bunny was really rubbing off on me. I opened my door and walked outside, waiting to be picked up by Judy. While I waited, I couldn't help but think about her. Ever since her birthday, she seemed...off. She wasn't being her normal self. She's not as perky or optimistic. She constantly seemed nervous around me. always distracted or staring into space. Anyways, I was glad I was able to spend some time with her. Carpooling was one of the few things we were still allowed to do together. Once we got into the station however, we were to be completely separated. Judy pulled up in a matter of moments with a frown on her face. Her expression didn't change as I got in.

"Hello? Carrots? Anyone home up there?" I said as waved my paw in front of her face.

She snapped out of her daze and looked at me.

"Sorry Nick. I was just...thinking."

"Want to talk about it?"

"Later."

I nodded, giving her space. I knew she would talk when she was ready, so there was no need to rush her.

We took off towards the police station in silence. Judy seemed distracted. She was staring into space and zoning out. One paw was on the steering wheel while the other was on the necklace I had given her. She was twirling the N in her fingers, something she had gotten into a habit of doing when she was nervous.

Eventually, we reached the station, and separated, knowing if we were caught together, we would be fired. I walked in, the station seeming less bright without her in it. I headed to Bogo's office, where I was to meet my new partner. I arrived, and knocked on the door. I heard Bogo grunt, and I entered.

"Ah, I see Mr. Wilde has finally returned. Sit please." He said while reading the papers on his desk.

I sat in a chair in front of his desk, barely able to see Bogo.

"Your new partner." He said, handing me a file that had been sitting on his desk.

I took a deep breath, and opened the file. It read:

Name: Nathan L. Pawst

Species: Jaguar

I stopped reading, having seen enough. It was as I feared, I had been paired with a larger animal. This one I had heard of. He had a reputation for being sporadic, sometimes even dangerous. They only kept him around because of his impeccable tracking skills. He had also been know to leave his partners and other officers behind in the face of adversity. I gulped, not looking forward to meeting Nathan.

"Dismissed."

I left the chair, and headed to roll call.

Judy POV

I walked in after Nick, extremely nervous. Maybe even more nervous than I was on my first day. I felt eyes staring at me the second I walked in after Nick. Now that the whole station knew of our relationship, work was going to be a lot more...interesting.

"Officer Hopps!"

I heard a voice call to my right. I looked over and saw what seemed to be a new recruit. It was an otter about the same size as me. He had brown, slicked back fur but his neck was pearl white. He scamped over to me, and looked me in the eyes. I nearly gasped. They were incredibly green, Much like Nick's. I thought Nick's were as green as you could get...but the otter had proven me wrong.

I was so distracted, it took me a few seconds before I realized he was extending his paw to me. He was asking for a handshake. I took it, snapping out of my daze.

"Officer Waters, at your service." He said enthusiastically, shaking my paw hard.

"I'm your new partner!"

I blinked a few times, still mystified by his eyes. I shook my head, realizing what he had just said.

"Oh, that's great! Pleasure to meet you!"

"The pleasure's all mine Mrs. Hopps! I wanted to thank you for solving that missing mammals case, you were an inspiration that sparked my confidence in joining the force! I thought if you could do it, so could I."

I giggled, happy that I was able to make such a change in smaller animals mindsets.

"That's very sweet of you Officer Waters! I was just doing my job though." I said modestly.

"Well, either way, I'm glad you were able to show small animals like us are just as capable as bigger ones."

As Officer Waters spoke I spotted something red from the corner of my eye. It was Nick, walking up toward us. Since we still hadn't been to role call, the day hadn't officially started yet, meaning Nick and I could be together. However, Nick didn't look very happy. In fact, he had a deep scowl on his face.

"What's going on over here?"

Nick POV

I walked out of Bogo's office, already upset that I now had a notorious jaguar as a partner. I walked into the lobby of the station. I had to find Judy. We had to be separated soon.

I soon spotted her, but she wasn't alone. She was talking to an otter I had never seen before. She was giving him a stare almost as if she was daydreaming, seemingly lost in his eyes. He said something and she giggled, something she only did around me. My ears flattened in jealousy. I could feel my scowl become more prominent. She clasped her hands together. looking at the ground shyly, like she was talked to her crush in grade school. I clenched my paws, turning them into fists. Before I knew it, my legs were carrying me towards them, but I had no idea what to do or say. I could see Judy spotted me, and the light in her eyes left. I continued walking anyways.

"What's going on over here?" I yelled as I got closer.

Now the otter turned his head towards me, and I noticed his eyes were extremely similar to mine. He smiled at me.

"Well, if it isn't Nick Wilde. Nice to meet you!"

I was standing in front of him now, but Judy's side. He extended a paw towards me, asking for a pawshake. I declined it, instead casually placing my arm around Judy's shoulder. The otter coughed nervously, lowering his arm. I could feel Judy looking at me in embarrassment, but I ignored her.

"Nick, this is Officer Waters, my new partner!" Judy introduced.

My stomach sank. Why did Judy get so lucky as to get a partner the same size as her while I was stuck with Pawst? Not only that, but one that she really seemed to like.

"Officer Waters, I'm sure you know Nick. He's also…..my boyfriend."

That pause. It was momentary, but noticeable. Was she questioning our relationship? Is that why she was acting so strange in the car this morning? Was she embarrassed that we were a couple? I nodded at the otter, trying to not come off as angry. I looked him up and down. He didn't seem like much, at least not physically. I could probably take him in a fight.

'Uh, anyways, we should probably be getting to roll call, yes?" The otter asked, gesturing to the room where roll call was held.

I sighed.

"I suppose."

I looked down at Judy, who seemed uncomfortable.

"See you at lunch Carrots?"

She nodded, seeming somewhat distracted. I bent over, giving her a kiss on the mouth. I made sure my lips stayed locked long enough with hers so Waters would see. One I heard him grunt uncomfortable, I let Judy go, knowing I had gotten my point across to the otter. Normally i would trust Judy, but the way she had been acting lately made me wonder. I sighed, remembering I still had my partner to meet. I trudged into the room, dreading what this day had in store.

Judy POV

I walked towards roll call, trying to shake the uncomfortable feeling I had. I had never seen Nick act that way, and that kiss he gave me….it seemed more desperate, and lasted longer than our normal goodbye kisses.

"Hey, Officer Waters, I'm sorry about how Nick acted, he's usually not like that." I said to Waters as we sat down for roll call.

He shrugged.

"It's fine, I just didn't know you two were a couple. And please, call me Logan."

I blushed.

"Yeah, pretty much everyone just found out. We've been dating for about 2 months now though."

"Alright everyone, listen up!"

I hadn't even noticed Chief Bogo had walked in. I immediately turned my attention towards him. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Nick sitting with his new partner, and I immediately felt bad for him. Officer Pawst was known to be cocky, and reckless, and could potentially put Nick in danger.

"Waters, Hopps. No specific assignments today, just patrol the area." Bogo said to us.

I nodded, and we headed to my cruiser. As we patrolled, I chatted with Waters. I found that he was actually an incredibly sweet, funny, and kind otter! I have to admit, it was kind of refreshing. We ended up giving out a few tickets, which reminded me of my meter maid days when Nick and Finnick hustled me. Eventually, the lunch hour was upon us.

"Hey Judy, can I buy you lunch?" Logan asked, smiling sweetly at me. I just couldn't say no to that face.

"Sure, Logan! I'd love that!" We ended up going to Pupway, where i ordered my usual sandwich. It was nice to spend the day with Logan, until I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. I took it out, and when I looked at who was calling me, I felt a pit form in my stomach. It was Nick. I had completely forgotten I was supposed to met him for lunch! I had gotten so wrapped up with Officer Waters….

Nick POV

I sat in Judy's favorite coffee shop, where we had agreed to meet for lunch. Lunch hour was now about halfway done, and there was still no sign of Judy. I pulled out my phone, and called Judy. It rang for a few times, then suddenly Judy's frantic voice came blasting through the speaker.

"Nick! I'm so sorry, I just...I forgot!"

"Where are you?"

"Well, I'm eating with Officer Waters right now." I felt a pain in my chest. I had been replaced, after just the first day on the job.

"Oh, of course you are. Cause he's just sooooo great, isn't he?" I said with an edge to my voice.

"Nick...I...I don't want to deal with this right now." The line went dead. I looked at my phone, bewildered. She had hung up on me? That dumb bunny! How could she?

Judy POV

I hung up, and put my head in my paws.

"Everything okay Judy?"

I looked up at Logan. his eyes filled with concern.

"Yeah, it's just Nick, he's not acting like himself today."

I felt Waters' paw touch the back of my own, tenderly.

"I'm sorry Judy. Do you want to talk about it?"

I withdrew my paw from his.

"It's just...well...there's something I've wanted to talk to him about for a long time but...i'm just not sure how to do it."

He smiled at me.

"You're a smart rabbit Judy. You'll figure it out."

He stared deeply into my eyes.

"Nick's very lucky to have you. You're extremely beautiful, you know."

I blushed deeply, not sure how to respond to the compliment.

"I guess we better get back to the station. I can show you how to fill out paperwork!" I said quickly.

"I'd love that Judy." he replied with a smile.

We drove back to the station and sat in our adjoining cubicles. I showed him how to file paperwork and how to send it to Bogo. We worked mostly in silence, however we would occasionally chat. I really liked working with Waters. He actually did his work on time unlike Nick and wasn't bothering and pestering me every second. Eventually, the day started to wind down, and I was about to leave when I heard my name called.

"Hey, Judy, wait a second, I need to tell you something."

"Okay, what do you need?" I asked walking back to his desk.

I was standing in front of him, when he suddenly grabbed my waist, pulling me into a kiss.

I was completely stunned, not fully comprehending what was happening. I heard the door open behind us.

"Hey Judy, I'm really sor-"

Nick POV

I was walking to Judy's new office, the day was over, and I was excited to see her. I felt bad for how I had acted, I trusted Judy, I shouldn't be threatened by some otter! I approached the door and opened it. I saw Judy, her back was turned towards me, but not Waters. Smiling, I announced my presence.

"Hey Judy, I'm really sor-"

I cut myself off. I realized why she had her back towards me. She and Waters were kissing. My heart shattered. My vision became clouded with tears. She spun around, looking at me with wide eyes. All along, my suspicions were correct. that's probably why she had been so nervous around me for the past week. She had wanted to break up. And now that Waters was in the picture, she didn't need me anymore.

"Nick! Nick, no, this isn't what this looks like, I swear!"

"Oh, I'm sure it isn't Judy. Did you just happen to fall in his arms and kiss him? Was it an accident, hm?" I accused, my voice breaking.

I should've seen this coming, everyone who had ever cared about me left me before. Why did I think Judy would be different?

"Nick, it's her fault, I was just sitting at my desk, and she just kissed me!" Waters said, putting his hands up in defense.

Judy's mouth was open wide, as if she were trying to say something, but couldn't.

"Ni….Nick, no! That's not how-"

"I don't want to hear it Judy! If you didn't want me anymore, you could've just told me, instead of sneaking around behind my back."

Tears were now freely flowing down my cheeks now, staining my red fur.

Judy POV

I can't believe Waters blamed me! Looking at Nick, my heart was on the verge of breaking. Tears were pouring out of his eyes, he was shaking, his face was a mixture of hate, hurt, confusion, and anger.

"Nick, please listen to me, let me explain-"

I was interrupted by something landing on the floor in front of my feet. I was a thin, leather strip. The watch strap I had given to Nick, the one with "N +J" ingrained on it. I looked back up, and he was gone. I ran out the door, screaming his name

"Nick! Nick, please, let me talk to you, please! Nick!"

The animals still working stared at me, but in the moment I didn't care. Tears were now spilling down my face, clouding my vision. I was able to catch a glimpse of a red tail rounding a corner. I ran after it, trying desperately to catch up with Nick. I should've know Waters had ulterior motives. I should've seen this coming. How stupid could I be? How could I do this to him? I eventually was able to catch up to him in the barren parking lot.

"Nick, please let me explain."

He sighed, still not turning towards me.

"Leave me alone Judy." he said quietly.

His voice broke my heart, so fragile and depressed.

"Nick, please-"

"I said, LEAVE ME ALONE!"

He whipped towards me, making the same snarl he did when he pretended to go feral on me. His were claws extended, except now he was crying. I jumped back, startled. He turned away from me again, scampering to his car. I could hear his sobs as he drove away. I sat in the parking lot, stunned at what had just happened. I curled up into a fetal position and buried my head in my knees, crying and clutching the necklace Nick had given me just a week earlier, wishing all the pain would go away.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Judy POV

It had been about 3 weeks since it happened, but I still wasn't over it. Not only had I lost my boyfriend, but I had also lost my one true friend in Zootopia. The only animal that I felt really understood me was gone. All because of some stupid otter.

Thinking back on it, I should've set boundaries with Waters. The way he was flirting with me and touching me. I should've seen it coming.

Nick had refused to talk to me ever since. When I returned home that night, all of his things were gone. His movies, CD's, a blanket he kept here, and the key I had given him was on the counter. I texted him continuously, called him, left voicemails, only to have silence be my constant answer. The only time I would see him was at work, but even then I was forbidden to talk to him. I would try to find him during the lunch hour, but he was always able to avoid me.

I requested a new partner, I couldn't stand to see Water's face. Once I had told Bogo what had happened, he was furious. Waters was immediately transferred to a new unit in Zootopia, and I was paired with a female wolf, named Savannah. She was okay. She did her work, and she did it well. Nick, as far as I knew, was still with Nathan Pawst. I would often hear stories of how Pawst would often leave Nick to defend himself when they were in trouble. Apparently he had a couple of close scrapes. He had even been grazed by a bullet. I would see him constantly running around while Pawst sat back and did nothing. It infuriated me beyond all reason.

I felt so alone now. There was no one in Zootopia that I trusted enough to talk to. Not to mention talking to my parents about Nick, or really anything these days was out of the question.

I sighed, and sat down at the desk in my apartment, trying to read a case file. It was difficult to focus on work though. I kept thinking about Nick. How to explain things to him? How to apologize?

I looked over at the corner of my desk, seeing a sparkle. I reached out and grabbed the necklace Nick gave me. Clutching it, I wished I was clutching him instead.

Nick POV

I felt as though I had been running for hours. Nathan was running beside me, huffing almost as much as I was. We had been chasing a thief for about thirty blocks now, still unable to close the gap. It was a wolf who seemed eerily familiar to me, but we had no idea what he had stolen. Eventually, he curved into an alley. We turned into the same alley and saw the wolf standing in front of a fence, seemingly alone.

"Freeze! ZPD! Drop the bag and put your paws up!" I yelled, pulling out my gun.

He just smirked at me, putting me on edge instantly.

"I said, drop the bag, and put your paws up!"

Suddenly, two large grizzly bears appeared next to him, seemingly materializing from thin air.

"Oh shit!" I heard Nathan say, "You can handle this, right Wilde?"

Before I knew it, he was gone and there was a bear on top of me. Its jaws were snapping at my face, only held back by my paw pushing against the snout of the bear. The bear's mouth was just inches from my face when I felt two of my fingers slip into its gnashing teeth. I heard two sickening crunches and pain shot up my arm. Screaming in pain I kicked the bear in the stomach, stunning it for a moment. I started backing up, trying to get away from the beast while clutching the two bloody stumps on my left hand.

Then, I remembered there were two of them. Before I knew it the other one picked me up by my uniform, slamming me against the brick wall.

I felt a searing pain in my head before I finally blacked out.

Judy POV

I was still reading and studying my case file when I heard my phone ring. Thinking it might be Nick, I frantically searched for the phone. I was disappointed, but confused to see it was Bogo.

Today was my day off. Unless it was a dire emergency, there was no reason to call me in.

I answered after a few moments.

"Chief, what's wrong?"

"Judy, I need you at the Sahara Square Hospital. No questions."

The line went dead.

I started panicking. Why did they need me at the hospital? Did something happen to Savannah?

My heart sank. Or did something happen to Nick? I hurriedly put on a light sweater and ran out the door, desperate to see what was wrong. The whole drive there, terrible thoughts were going through my head. What if one of them was seriously injured? Or worse…

I shook my head, not allowing myself to go there.

After what seemed like hours, I finally arrived at the hospital, sweaty and anxious. Bogo had texted me to go to the 4th floor. I hopped up the stairwell as quickly as possible. I exited the stairwell into a waiting room, where an antelope sat at a reception desk. I approached the desk.

"Um, excuse me miss?"

She looked away from her computer, and stared at me.

"Yes, how may I help you?"

"I'm looking for Chief Bogo, would you happen to know where he is?" I asked.

She gave me a sympathetic look.

"Ah yes, he told me you'd be coming. Down the hall and to the left. Room 427."

I thanked her, and bounded down the hall. I turned left and saw Chief Bogo sitting outside the room of the patient in question.

"Chief Bogo?" I managed to squeak.

He looked up at me, grimacing.

"Ah, Judy."

He stood up, offering me the seat he had been sitting in.

"You may want to sit down when I tell you." He said, his voice gruff, but holding a hint of sorrow that I had never heard from him before.

His tone of voice did nothing to slow my racing heart. Hesitantly, I took the chair he offered me. I could feel my body shaking nervously.

He knelt down to my level before speaking.

"It's Nick. He's been in an...accident. I know you two are no longer together but... you know him best...so...I figured you'd be best for the job."

I processed the information carefully, trying not to lose face in response to the news.

"What kind of accident? And what job?" I finally asked.

With his clenching fists, his forehead beading with sweat, and his eyes refusing to meet mine, it was clear that the ordeal had hit him pretty hard. I could tell he was dreading to tell me the full story.

"Well...he and Pawst were in a chase. From what I could tell about thirty blocks on foot. When they had the thief cornered in an alley...two bears came into the picture..."

My eyes widened. Bears? Oh sweet cheese and crackers.

"Pawst...bailed on Nick. Nick was…..well he was...mauled by the bears. He's missing two fingers on his left hand and his tail is broken in three places. Which would all be fixable if he...didn't have retrograde amnesia." He said, choking on his words slightly at the last part.

My heart stopped.

"He seems to remember everything up until about a year ago. He doesn't however... remember you or me or his job. The doctors think it's reversible, but he needs someone to help him recover his memories. The doctors asked me to be his therapist. To help jog his memory. I figured since you know him so well, you'd be better for the job than I." he continued.

I was stunned, trying to take in all the information.

"Pawst has been fired, in case you wanted to know." Bogo added, spitting Pawst's name like it was venom.

The room went blurry as my ears started ringing. I began feeling light-headed as I tried to process all that was said to me.

What would this mean?

"He's awake whenever you want to see him. Thanks Judy. Take as much time as you need with him. This is your assignment for the time being. I'll be sure to tell your partner the news." Bogo said before he got up and left.

I sat in silence, trying to think what Nick must be feeling right now. Then a terrifying thought crossed my mind. What if he never gets his memories back?

Nick POV

'Why is my head so fuzzy? And why am I in the hospital?'

I tried to recall what happened to land me here.

'Maybe Mr. Big finally got fed up with me and ordered a hit, but it failed? Or maybe I tried to con the wrong person?' I thought.

Both were likely, but I felt terrible either way.

I rubbed my eyes with my paws. As I did so, it became clear that something was missing. Or rather...TWO things were missing. I looked at my left paw and let out a little scream at the sight before me.

TWO OF MY FINGERS WERE MISSING!

My thoughts were on hyperdrive as I comprehended the newfound discovery.

'When did that happen? Geez, I must've really gotten in deep.' I thought to myself, trying to move my body into a more comfortable position on the bed.

I could tell something was off with my tail almost instantly. It felt deformed and broken.

I tried as hard as I could to remember what happened, but it only made my head feel worse. I closed my eyes, trying to relax.

As I did I heard the door to my room open.

I hoped to God it wasn't more doctors to ask me more questions I didn't know the answer to.

"If you have more questions, go away." I said groggily, not opening my eyes.

"Uh, Nick?"

I opened my eyes lazily to see who my visitor was. To my surprise, it was a rabbit. There was something familiar about her face, but it seemed so distant. She wasn't dressed in a doctor's outfit either, which struck me as odd.

"Sorry sweetheart, playroom's next door." I told her, a smirk on my face.

She shook her head, and sat in a chair next to my bed. She looked crestfallen and somber, but I sure as hell didn't know why. She was also uncomfortably close to me.

I tried to scoot away.

"Uh... honey? I don't know who you are, but I think you should be afraid of me. Shouldn't you?"

"Nick, do you know who I am?" She asked suddenly, completely disregarding my comment.

I gave her a blank stare.

"Uh...should I?"

"Does the name Judy Hopps ring a bell?" She tried again.

"Nope." I answered bluntly.

"Chief Bogo?"

"Nuh-uh."

"Nick, I know you."

I again gave her a blank stare.

"Yeah, I'm sure you do honey...but I think a real doctor should be taking care of me. Not a bunny." I said as I turned away from her.

"Your favorite color is green," she said simply.

My eyes widened a bit.

"Lucky guess." I muttered.

"You always sleep on the right side of the bed, no matter what. You take two shots of vanilla in your coffee. You wanted to join the Junior Rangers as a child, but couldn't because you were a fox. The other animals didn't think they could trust you so they muzzled you." she continued.

My eyes were wide open now. I had never told anyone about being a Junior Ranger.

I flipped back over to face her, realizing there were tears in her eyes.

"What are you, some kind of bunny stalker? How did you know that?" I demanded.

"Because you told me Nick. On the skylift."

I scoffed.

"Yeah, cause I'm sure I'd spill my deepest darkest secrets to some dumb bunny."

"Nick, you really don't remember me?" She said meekly.

"Sorry sweetheart. Try looking for another fox." I replied.

She looked at the ground for a moment before looking up with tear filled eyes.

"Nick, you're- you were my boyfriend."

I looked at her in confusion before I started laughing.

"Alright honey buns! Who put you up to this? Was it Finnick?" I gasped between fits of laughter.

"I'm serious Nick," she said with a hurt tone.

"Okay, I admit it was good, but you can stop acting now, okay? No way a bunny like you would ever date a fox like me."

Her ears drooped, I had obviously said something wrong. She pulled out her phone, and started scrolling through some pictures. She handed me the phone.

"You see this?" she asked.

I looked at the picture on the phone. That was me alright. She was there too. She was holding a giant ice cream dish and I was..well…

I was kissing the top of her head.

I sat there a moment, too stunned to speak. How was this possible? If we had really dated...why couldn't I remember it?

"Nick...you've been in an accident. You work for the ZPD and you have retrograde amnesia." The bunny explained.

The ZPD? I laughed again.

"Yeah, like they would let a fox into the ZPD. I suppose you're a cop too, huh?" I smirked.

She took the phone out of my hand and pulled up another picture. I looked at it.

It was me, holding a coffee and wearing sunglasses, in a police uniform. She was next to me, also in a police uniform.

My eyes widened as my mind tried to process what I was seeing.

What was going on here?

Judy POV

It was heartbreaking seeing Nick like this. All of his sweetness...his kindness...it all seemed to have vanished into thin air. Now, he was that same fox I met on my first day on the job. Mischievous, rude, and dismissive. Even his eyes were different. Their usual warm sweetness were now cold and barren.

"Wait! I do remember something!" he suddenly shouted, his ears and eyes perked up.

"We were swinging on...on a rope or...a vine..I told you not to let go…"

His smile was suddenly replaced by a pout, almost as if he was a little kid as he turned towards me.

"Then you did."

I giggled a bit, remembering the moment.

"Well, at least you remembered something! That's good!" I said, hope in my voice.

"So let me get this straight. I, Nick Wilde, a fox. Not only became a police officer...but also dated a bunny?"

I nodded.

"I know this might be difficult to comprehend, but yes, that's all true."

My paw instinctively reached for his as I spoke.

He drew back, smiling nervously.

"Woah there Fluff, just because one memory came back doesn't mean all the other ones did."

I drew back, somber but understanding. We sat in silence. I could tell Nick was thinking hard, trying to recall anything he could.

Nick POV

I tried to focus on the haze in my head. Tried to make sense of it all.

Little snippets seemed to be popping in and out. Judy sitting in my arms on a couch. Sneaking into some kind of secret facility. Buying a necklace. Vague things like that were coming through, but they all still felt so distant. It was almost like they happened in another lifetime.

I looked over at Judy, who was now reading something on her phone. She seemed a bit different. It was nothing she had said, but I felt more connected to her.

"Hey, Fluff? If you don't mind, I'm going to try to get some rest," I said, wanting some time to trace my thoughts.

She looked up at me, almost startled I had spoken. As she slipped her phone back into her pocket, I noticed tears had welled up in her eyes.

She stood up quickly, clearly trying to hid her face.

"Oh, okay. I guess I'll be leaving now," she said quietly.

She walked towards the door of my room and opened it. She was about to walk out when she suddenly paused.

" I'm uh...supposed to check up on you every day. So, I'll...um...see you tomorrow. I guess."

"Hey, wait, before you go, I have a question."

She turned her head towards me slightly, not wanting to show her whole face.

"Did you say that we were dating, or that we used to?" I asked.

The question seemed to catch her off guard.

She opened her mouth a few times as if to respond, but closed it.

It was as if she was searching for an answer, but couldn't find it.

"I'll let you decide that." Was all she said as she left the room.

She signaled her leave by closing the door, leaving me to the silence of my room.

What did she mean by that?

Judy POV

I exited Nick's room on the verge of tears. As I walked down the hall I took my phone out of my pocket and unlocked it.

Staring back at me was the album of photos of Nick and I, his warm and friendly green eyes staring into mine in a haunting manner.

He seemed like a completely different animal now. All I wanted was the Nick I knew back then. I wanted to be in his arms. I wanted him to tell me everything was going to be okay. That he loved me and would never leave me. But looking at the fox in that room, I saw none of that. The way he recoiled when I reached out for his paw. his condescending tone. His eyes seeming lifeless….What if the Nick I knew was gone forever?


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Judy POV

The next few days, I went to the hospital to see Nick. I had to push myself every day to walk into that hospital. Had to force myself to face a Nick I didn't know. The only thing keeping me going was the thought of him regaining his memories. Of him turning back into his old self.

He claimed that he still didn't know completely who I was and the memories he was able to retrieve seemed fuzzy. He had no recollection of what happened with Dylan, with Waters, or my parents.

I was on my way to the hospital again, hoping that we would make more progress today. I pulled into the parking lot and entered the hospital, taking the stairs to Nick's room.

As I entered the room, I was shocked to find Nick's bed completely empty. The sheets were tossed around, almost as if there had been a struggle.

Confused, I looked at the plaque on the door. Number 427. It was his room alright.

I headed to the reception desk, hoping the antelope I had met a few days prior could tell me what was going on.

"Excuse me, miss? I was wondering if you could tell me where Nick Wilde is?" I asked politely.

She nodded.

"Sure hon, give me a second."

She turned to her computer, clicking her mouse and typing something on the keyboard.

"Hmm...it says he was checked out 3 hours ago."

That struck me as odd. The doctors said he would have to be under watch at all times until he was able to get his memory back.

"Well, who checked him out?" I asked finally, worry creeping into my voice.

She turned towards her computer again, her eyebrow soon raised as she read more.

"Ah, here we go. It says a Judy Hopps checked him out."

I felt my stomach knot and twist at her words, my mind racing with anxiety.

"Ma'am...my name is Judy Hopps. I promise you, I did not check him out."

"I don't know what to tell you sweetheart. That's what the computer says." She gave me a sympathetic look.

Where had Nick gone?

Nick POV

I woke up earlier than usual, the sight of my hospital bed greeting me as it has for the past few days.

I felt my stomach rumble, begging to be fed. Giving in to my stomach's desire, I pressed a button on the side of my bed, calling for a nurse. A few minutes later, a hippo walked into my room, carrying a tray of food. Once she placed it on my lap, I thanked her with a groggy smile.

I had just started eating, when I heard the door to my room open again. I looked up, expecting to see a nurse. Instead, a bear's claws were staring back at me. I jumped back, unsure of what was happening.

Before I knew it a bag was placed over my head. My arms started to go wild, trying to slash at anything I could.

Eventually I hit my target. I felt my claws swipe through flesh, followed by a grunt of pain. I tried kicking, but my body felt as though it was shutting down.

My mind raced when it hit me.

Something must have been in my food!

I tried crying out for help, but I couldn't make a sound. My energy slowly left my body as I felt myself being dragged on the floor. It wasn't long before I blacked out completely.

Judy POV

I ran around the fourth floor of the hospital frantically, trying to find anyone who had an idea where Nick was.

I asked every nurse I could find, but they all claimed he was in his room. Eventually, I came across a nurse. A female hippo to be exact.

"Excuse me...miss...do you...know...where Nick...Wilde is?" I asked, out of breath from running around.

She was quick to reply.

"Why, he should be in his room! I just served him breakfast...oh...three hours ago?"

I was engulfed with relief. Finally! Someone who might have some idea where he was!

I took a deep breath before responding.

"Ma'am, he's not in his room. No one seems to know where he is. Would you have happened to see anything or anyone suspicious around Nick's room lately?" I asked, my voice unintentionally taking on the tone I usually used while questioning a witness in a crime scene.

She paused for a moment, thinking. Suddenly, her eyes lit up.

"Well, there were two rather large bears that came in asking for him yesterday. I turned them away because they weren't family. They left, but they didn't seem to happy about it."

The knot in my stomach tightened. Bears? Chief Bogo mentioned the animals that attacked Nick were bears.

"Um, thank...thank you ma'am, you've been a big help!" I stuttered, turning away from her.

I pulled out my phone and dialed Chief Bogo.

He picked up after a few rings.

"Judy? What's the matter?"

"Sir, Nick is missing."

Nick POV

My body felt heavy as I finally came to. The whole room was spinning.

"Oh god, my head," I thought.

It was almost as bad as when I first woke up in the hospital. I tried to move my paws, but they were tied to the back of the chair I was sitting in. I tried to catch a glimpse of my surroundings, growling in frustration when all I saw was pitch black. I must still have the bag over my head.

I tried kicking, but it was useless. My legs were bound together by rope.

"Hey!" I called out, yearning for an answer.

The only response was the hollow echos of my voice.

This annoyed me to no end.

"HEY! Whoever you are! At least be a man and show yourself!"

Suddenly, I was blinded by a bright light as the bag was lifted off my head.

I squinted, trying to adjust to the brightness. After about 30 seconds, I was able to fully adjust to my surroundings.

I was in some kind of warehouse, surrounded by shipping crates and packing peanuts. I could see why my voice echoed instantly, the warehouse was huge.

In front of me was a giant floodlight shining on my face, nearly blinding me. Behind the floodlight there was a table with an empty chair pulled up and facing me.

I looked down, assessing the situation. My ankles were tied together, same for my paws. I struggled, trying to get loose, but the knots wouldn't budge. There still seemed to be no one here. As far as I could tell anyway. I looked up and nearly jumped out of my skin as familiar face stared back at me.

"Well, well. Nick! Long time, no see!" He said with an over-enthusiastic grin.

I narrowed my eyes. Even with my mind turned inside out...this was one animal I would never forget as long as I lived.

Judy POV

Chief Bogo and another officer arrived after I started going through Nick's room.

I looked around, careful not to touch anything unless I absolutely needed to. Just when it seemed like there was nothing left to look for, something red on the floor caught my eye.

I bent down to get a closer look.

It was two drops of blood. Was it Nick's blood? Or his attackers? Either way, I was definitely going to need to get this tested.

I collected what I could and exited the room, relieved when I spotted Chief Bogo at the end of the hallway.

"Chief, we need to check the cameras. It's possible we may be able to track Nick through them."

"We're already on it Hopps."

"Good. I also found this in his room." I said grimly, holding up the sample of blood I had collected.

"I don't know whose it is, but we need to find out."

He nodded his head.

"Good find, Hopps. Take it to the lab and have them run DNA tests on it," he ordered.

"Yes Sir."

I turned quickly and began walking to the stairwell, wanting to get the results of the blood sample as soon as possible.

Hopefully, it would hold the answers I need.

Nick POV

"Hello, London." I snarled, my voice filled with spite.

Jack London is a wolf who was my former con partner, but one day he conned me. I had trusted him, in fact, he was the first animal I trusted in Zootopia. After conning me, I wanted to get back at him. I may have gone a little overboard though. While it was accidental, the trap I had set up for him ended up cutting off his leg. He has never been the same since.

"C'mon Nick! We're friends! Call me Jack!"

"No London, we're not. Or did you forget about what happened the last time we met?" I sneered. "What do you want?"

"What do I want? This is about you Nick! You and that little bunny of yours." He said with a smirk.

"You leave Judy out of this!" I shouted, eyes widening as I did.

Where did that come from? Sure, I knew the rabbit and I once dated, but I barely have any recollection of that.

"Woah ho, Nicky! What's with the sudden change of heart? Why? I remember just a few years back, you absolutely despised rabbits!" He sneered back, obviously enjoying my outburst.

"Has whittle Nicky gone all soft on us?" He mocked, making a fake pouty face.

The bears standing next to him laughed.

"So Nicky...here's the deal. We have someone behind bars thanks to you and that rabbit...Judy was it? Anyways...we'd like him back and I'm sure your little girlfriend would love you back...so why don't you call her, huh? Work this out for both of us?"

He held up my phone, shaking it slightly.

I thought about it. I don't know the rabbit that well, but from what I have seen and from what little I could remember, she is smart. No doubt she's already looking for me. She is probably close to already finding me. Even if that isn't the case, my desire to help London was slim to none after all he's done to me.

"No." I said sternly.

London sighed, unhappy with my response.

"Listen Nick. We would call her ourselves, but your phone is locked. Don't make this harder then it has to be."

I shook my head in defiance.

"I said no."

He sighed deeply again.

"I was hoping it wouldn't have to come to this…"

He held up a paw, and motioned for the bears to move forward. I tensed up, preparing myself for whatever was to come next.

I felt the rope around my wrists snap, and my arms were forced down onto the arms of the chair by the two bears. I struggled, trying to get a swipe in, but they were too strong for me. I felt the bandage that was wrapped around my left paw being cut.

I looked down at my paw, seeing it for the first time without the bandage. I now only have two fingers, my thumb and my two other fingers used to be were replaced by gnarled stumps, still in the process of healing. I looked up at London, eyes full of hate and rage. He nodded to the bears, smiling while he did.

I felt an explosion of pain in my left paw. I looked down, and nearly threw up at what I saw. The bear's claw was digging into the stumps, causing the wound to reopen. I let out a cry and whimper, trying desperately to shake my arm free. That just made the bear go deeper into my paw. I could feel the tearing of tendons and muscle as the bear went deeper into my paw still.

Finally, I couldn't contain my pain anymore, and let out a screech.

"ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT, I'LL CALL HER, JUST STOP!"

The bear withdrew his claw from the inside of my paw, dripping with blood. London smiled and stood up.

"Great! I'm glad we were finally able to convince you!"

He walked over to me, holding my phone. He looked down on me, smirking.

"Either your little princesses are going to have to let go of my arms, or you need to bring the phone down to me." I spat.

He laughed.

"The first option is not happening. Tell me the password."

He leaned down in front of me, and I spat in his face.

"Go to hell, motherfucker." I cursed.

He looked at me, more enraged than I had ever seen him. He turned towards his bears.

"Give 'em hell, boys."

Judy POV

Waiting to get the results about the blood was torture.

I checked my phone for the third time in 45 seconds, seeing if they had caught anything on the security cameras. Still nothing. I sighed as I tapped my foot, waiting for any kind of news.

My mind had started going to a dark place, thinking about things I didn't want to even consider as possibilities.

After a few moments, my phone rang, shaking me out of thought. I looked at the screen and I was shocked to see it was Nick calling me.

I answered immediately,

"Nick? Nick, is that you? Nick, where are you?"

"Ah, if it isn't our brave little bunny! Nick and I were just talking about you!" A voice answered, filling me with fear.

It wasn't Nick. The voice was deeper and gruffer.

I suddenly noticed a sound in the background that made me feel like I was punched in the gut. Nick's pained screams and whimpers, as if he was being tortured.

"Hear that hon?"

I heard shuffling, as if he was walking closer to Nick. In fact, he was, I could hear his screams getting louder.

"Hey Nick! I got your sweetheart on the line, and she's just dying to talk to you!"

"Nick! Nick, do you know where you are, tell me anything you can Nick!" I yelled, tears starting to roll down my cheeks.

"Here, let me put him on for you."

I heard more shuffling.

"Ju...Judy.." Nick strained, his voice pitched in pain.

My heart broke at the sound of his voice, feeling his pain as if it were my own.

"Don't..don't listen to them...Don't...take...the deal. I'm not worth it. I'm not worth it."

I heard the phone being pulled away.

"Aw, how noble of you Nicky. Listen rabbit. The deal's simple. You get a certain Kyle Pong out of prison...we let Nick go...and you say nothing about this. If you don't... you'll never see Nick again and we'll find a way to get Kyle out of prison ourselves."

"If you're so confident in your abilities, why don't you just break him out?" I voiced up, trying to sound unaffected by what Nick had said, but my voice kept cracking.

He laughed.

"That's Plan B, sweetheart. This is just easier, and more enjoyable."

Who was this guy? Why was he enjoying torturing Nick?

"Listen, I don't know who you are, but this call is being recorded, so either you tell me where you are, or I come find you," I lied.

He laughed again.

"Oh hun. We both know that's not true. Now, what's it going to be?"

I thought about it. I know Kyle Pong. Pretty much everyone does. He was a serial killer, who targeted prey animals. I remember first seeing his name on the news and being terrified.

Nick and I helped catch him. It was a case I remembered distinctly.

"Well? We don't got all day. It's either you decide, or he bleeds out."

I became overwhelmed with fear and panic.

I needed to decide...and quick!

Nick POV

The room felt fuzzy, and distant. I could no longer move my left paw. It just laid on the armrest, limp and lifeless.

My face felt puffy from being pummeled. I could tell I was missing at least one tooth as I felt the gap in my gum pour out blood.

I was now shirtless, large slashes across my chest. Dried blood clung to my fur, making it redder and more matted than usual.

I could only see out of one eye, the other was swollen shut. My breath was rattly. I was having difficulty getting air in and out of my lungs. All I wanted was to pass out...to feel the pain slip away...to die…

I had no choice but to give London my password, I couldn't endure the torture any longer.

London came back after a few painful moments with a smile.

"Well Nicky, your girlfriend pulled through for you! Come on now, we have to get going."

Judy POV

"I'll do it."

"Great! I knew I could count on you bun. Now, you get him out, and bring him to a location I'll give you later. We'll meet there. But if you bring any friends with you...Nick dies. Okay?"

I gulped.

"Okay."

"See you at 10 hun."

As soon as the line went dead, I started crying.

I tell Bogo, Nick dies. I don't bring Pong, Nick dies. I bring backup, Nick dies. The only way he doesn't die is if I do whatever he wants.

Nick POV

Once again, I was knocked out. I was getting really sick of that.

When I woke up, I was in the back of some kind of van. I rubbed my head,

"Ugh, that's definitely a concussion." I thought.

Even though I was in a van, we didn't seem to be moving. Moonlight streamed through the van's windows. I tried to stand up, but what little strength I had left failed me.

I laid motionless on the van floor, unable and unwilling to move. I wished Judy was here in my arms, just like we always used to do…

My head perked up, along with my ears. My memory! It seemed fully functioning again! I was remembering everything clearly now!

I remembered the love I felt for Judy. Holding her at the park. Looking at the skyline. Throwing blueberries into each other's mouths. The necklace I had given her. Waters….

My ears drooped again. Waters. The kiss. Our breakup. It was all coming back now.

Had I given her a fair chance? A chance to explain? No. Why didn't I? How was I that stupid? To let a rabbit like that leave without giving her a fair chance to explain her side of the story? If I ever saw her again, the first thing I would do is apologize and let her talk.

However, I had other things to worry about. The deal...this must be where it's suppose to happen. I looked for a way out, jiggled the door handle to the back of the van. No luck. There was no way to get to the front of the van. It was blocked off by a divider.

I crawled around the floor, trying to see if there was anything I could defend myself with.

Suddenly, the van doors flew open, and there stood London.

"It's time, Nicky." He picked me up by the scruff of my neck and carried me out. I was too tired to retaliate.

Judy POV

I pulled into the location the animal had told me to go to and saw a long, white van, facing towards me. Two bears stood guard in front of it.

I was definitely in the right place.

I took a deep breath, and looked at the wolf sitting next to me in handcuffs. I was able to contact Bogo, and explain the situation to him. Bogo had allowed me to take Pong, under the stipulation that London's car be tailed by the ZPD. As nervous as that made me, I agreed. This was the best route to get Nick back. I took a deep breath and opened the door, stepping out of the car.

"Hey, what about me?" Kyle said.

I shut the door on him before walking out to the center between our two cars.

We were near the docks of Zootopia, in a gravel clearing behind giant warehouses.

A wolf stepped out of the van and went around to the back, carrying something in his paws as he returned.

I realized it was Nick. He seemed semiconscious.

The sight of him nearly broke me. His left paw was mangled and limp. He was shirtless. His chest and back were totally slashed up. His right eye was swollen shut.

"I have what you want, rabbit! Now, give me what I want," the wolf ordered.

I nodded and returned to the passenger door of my car, dragging Pong out.

I stood with him by my side, unsure of what to do next.

"Bring him to me."

"Nick first."

He pulled out a gun and aimed it at Nick's head.

"I call the shots here rabbit. Give me Pong and Nick is all yours. You have my word."

I hesitantly let Pong go, sending him towards the wolf. The wolf's sneer sent a shiver down my spine. He lowered the gun from Nick and tossed his limp body towards me.

"Glad to do business with you, Judy. Let's do it again sometime!"

I wanted nothing more than to pull my gun out and shoot the wolf in the back of the head. I wanted to hurt him like he hurt Nick. I managed to control myself however, knowing that it would only make things worse.

I rushed over to Nick's shaking form as quickly as I could.

"Nick...Nick, I'm so sorry." I cried as the van drove away.

He turned his left eye towards me, as it was the only one he could see out of.

"I...I remember...I'm...sorry."

He went limp as he lost conscious.

"Nick? Nick?"

I shook him, trying to wake him. There was no response. Panicking, I felt for a pulse. For a second, I couldn't find one, but as I felt his neck, I could feel a slight pulse. It was extremely shallow, but at least he was alive.

He wasn't going to make it unless I got him to a hospital...NOW!

I grabbed his arms and dragged him to my car, boosting him into the passenger seat.

"Hang on Nick, just hang on." I murmured.

I quickly jumped into the driver's seat, tears still streaming down my face.

I hoped there was still enough time to save him.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Judy POV

I slammed my foot on the gas, gunning the engine. Tears began to cloud my vision, but I fought through them. Now wasn't the time to cry. I need to get Nick to the hospital, now!

I reached into my pocket, and pulled out my phone, paws shaking.

"B-Bogo?"

"Judy! Thank god you're alright. How's Nick?" I looked over at Nick's lifeless body, a rush of panic hit me.

"H-He's in rough shape...c-can you call the hospital and tell them w-we're on our way?" I choked out, returning my focus to the road.

"Sure thing Hopps. They'll be waiting for you to arrive."

"T-Thanks Chief," I ended the call, quickly zipping in between cars at a high speed. Nick let out a rattly breath, causing me to jump slightly. I looked over at him again. His whole body was convulsing, jerking and shaking into odd shapes. I drew a shaky breath, the pain in my chest growing. I couldn't stand to see him this way.

"It's g-going to be okay Nick...just hang on...please…" I reached one of my paws out, resting it on his leg. After what seemed like an eternity, we finally pulled into the hospital. Just as Bogo said, a whole swarm of nurses were waiting for us at the entrance, much to my relief. I parked in front of them, and hopped out of the driver's seat. I looked around frantically, until a snow leopard stopped me.

"Hello, I take it you're Judy," he offered his paw to me, which I took weakly. "Nick will be in good paws, I assure you." I looked over to my car, and saw a team of nurses lifting Nick's body out, and onto a stretcher.

"Be c-careful with him!" I called out, a little more angrily than I had intended. They laid him on the stretcher, and started carrying him away. I looked back at the snow leopard, who motioned for me to follow him.

"...we're going to have to prep him for surgery, there's no way we can save that left paw…" I heard the nurses discussing as they rolled Nick past me. I froze, shocked at what I just overheard.

"Ma'am, I need you to please follow me," I turned, and the leopard was still motioning for me to follow him, trailing the nurses that were rolling Nick away. I complied, taking off after the doctor.

"Whatever happened to your friend was severe," the leopard stated as we walked behind the gurney. "We're going to have to amputate his left paw, there's too much nerve and muscle damage for it to ever be back to normal. He also has a punctured right lung that was caused by a rib breaking from one of the slashes on his chest. Luckily, everything else only appears to be a flesh wound. We'll let you know when he's out of surgery." We had arrived at a room, and Nick was wheeled in. The nurses and doctor filed in, and a curtain was pulled over the window, blocking my view of the room. I stood in front of the door for a few seconds, trying to comprehend that Nick would be losing a paw. It all seemed so unreal.

I snapped out of my daze when I remembered the deal I made with Bogo to retrieve Nick. Because of me that psychopath Pong was now free to wreak havoc on the city. And that wolf who tortured Nick needs to spend the rest of his life in prison for what he did. Bogo assured me that officers would move in on the two after Nick was safe with me. I needed to know what happened, and if they were able to catch them. I began dialing the chief, hoping to finally hear some good news.

"Bogo here."

"Sir, it's Judy. What happened with Pong?" he sighed deeply in frustration.

"Pong's crew gave us the slip somewhere in TundraTown. We found their van abandoned in an alley. We're trying to track them, but no luck yet. Is Nick going to make it?" I hesitated, unsure of how Bogo would take the news that Nick would be down a paw.

"Well, he's…..he's definitely banged up. He's in surgery right now, they're having to...amputate his left paw." I shuddered just at the thought of what they were doing to Nick in the room next to me.

"Well, we'll make it work. Call me when he's out," Bogo grunted.

"Yes sir," I said as the line went dead.

I sat in a chair beside the door to Nick's room, anxiously waiting for the moment I would get to see him again. I replayed what he said before he passed out in my head.

"I...I remember...I'm…sorry..." his words echoed in my brain.

What did he remember? Everything? I felt the room go cold. If he remembered everything, that would mean I would get the old Nick back...but that also meant he would remember...Waters. What if after all of this we were back at square one? And what did he mean by I'm sorry? Thoughts began swimming in my head so quickly, I found it hard to keep track of them all. There was nothing I could do now, except sit and wait.

Nick POV

I woke up in another hospital bed.

I groaned. Something else to add to the list of things I was sick of.

I tried to sit up a bit, but a sharp pain in my chest prevented me from moving. Sitting was out of the question.

I grunted, laying my head back down on the soft pillow. I stretched my arms up. They were stiff and uncomfortable. I wiggled the fingers on my right paw and tried to the same on my left. But for some reason... I couldn't.

Confused, I brought my paw to my face, a tiny shriek escaped my mouth.

Where my paw should've been, there was a bandaged stump instead. I felt the room go fuzzy as my ears started ringing. I knew that my paw had been seriously injured, but not to the point of amputation. I took deep breaths, but that too caused pain in my chest. I felt around my chest, wondering why it hurt so much. At first, I felt nothing but bandages and the occasionally patch of fur, until I hit a spot on the right side of my chest. It was a small spot...but it felt unnatural...almost like a seal.

Suddenly the door opened, and a snow leopard walked in. He smiled at me.

"Glad to see you're awake. You may have noticed some..changes."

I scoffed,

"Oh, what do you by that? Gee, I wonder if it might be the fact that I entered this room with two paws, and currently have one?"

"There was no way we could save it, Mr. Wilde. The damage was too extensive. Your lung was also punctured, so don't try sitting up any time soon."

I nodded.

"Found that out the hard way," I muttered under my breath.

"I'll be sending Judy in to visit you soon. She's very eager to see you," he said.

I gulped and nodded.

After he left the room, I was alone with my thoughts once more.

I started shaking my leg nervously, thinking about what I was going to say to her. I wanted to apologize. I needed to hear her side of the story first. I'd been avoiding it for weeks. There was no avoiding it now. I was afraid that what I would hear would confirm that she was the one to initiate the kiss. During my first stay at the hospital, she had taken care of me. She had been trying to help me gain my memory back, even though that would've meant remembering Waters. Or had she hoped that I wouldn't regain that memory? Or was she trying to get the chance to share her perspective? Either way, I was about to find out.

Judy POV

"Judy Hopps?"

I heard my name called by a nurse. I swiveled my ears and then my head. My heart starting to race.

"Nicholas Wilde is ready to see you."

"T-Thank you ma'am," I stuttered.

I ran my sweaty paws down the front of my pants, trying to get ahold of myself. I took a deep breath as I stood up, facing the door to Nick's room. I reached my paw out towards the doorknob, then stopped hesitantly. Which Nick would be behind this door? I extended my arm and turned the knob. It was time to find out.

The minute I walked in we locked eyes, and I knew it was him. The real him. Not the image he portrayed of a tough, uncaring hustler...but the sweet, compassionate Nick I was fortunate enough to get to know.

"We've got to stop meeting like this," he smirked.

I let out a giggle, which broadened his smile. I noticed his eye was no longer completely swollen shut. Now it was a slight slit. He still looked like hell though. Flecks of dried blood were still tangled in his fur and his chest almost completely bandaged. Then I noticed his left arm, now pawless. I felt my breath leave me as if someone squeezed my lungs, not allowing any air in.

"Oh, Nicky…"

He noticed me staring at his stump. He raised it and pointed it at me, as if he was allowing me to further examine it. I shuffled over, and took a closer look. They had cut it off right below his wrist, the bandage still hiding the wound.

"That'll take a little bit to get used to, huh?" he said softly.

I nodded, looking at him with sympathy.

"Nick, when I first got you back…..I don't know if you remember….you were barely conscious...but you said something. You said you remembered. What...What do you remember?"

"I remember the day I first asked you out. I remember you falling asleep in my arms. I remember the joy, the love, the happiness, the nervousness. I remember kissing you for the first time. I remember Dylan. I remember your parents. I remember your necklace, and the joy it gave me seeing it around your neck. I remember everything."

I was nearly in tears again. I reached to grasp his remaining paw, but he drew back.

"Everything," he repeated.

Tears were now flowing freely down my face. My worst fear had been confirmed. This was the Nick I knew. The Nick I loved. But after what happened with Waters, nothing was the same.

"But…..I don't seem to remember exactly what happened with the otter. Mind explaining it to me?"

I perked up a bit. Was this his way of giving me a chance to explain myself? Looking into his eyes, it seemed like it.

"N..Nick, I don't know. I was just about to walk out to meet you, I felt so bad for skipping lunch with you, and...and he called me back, grabbed me, and kissed me. Then you walked in and I-"

I was unable to finish my sentence. I was too overcome with emotion.

"It all happened so fast, I didn't know what to do! I'm so sorry..."

I buried my face in my paws, scared to hear his response.

"No, I'm sorry," he said suddenly.

I looked up, confused.

"I...I should've let you explain, I shouldn't have shut you out. After that night, I wanted to talk to you, I just didn't know how. I felt so terrible, storming out on you like that. I just didn't know what to do," he explained, tears starting to fall from his one good eye.

"I regret that now, cause I wasted three weeks that I could've spent with you."

I wrapped my paws around his neck, trying not to squeeze too hard. I could feel his tears staining the top of my head and mine were staining the fur on his neck, but we didn't care. If he wasn't injured like he was, I would've locked onto his chest, and never let go.

"I'm so sorry Carrots," he whispered into my ear.

"Could you forgive me?"

"Only if you forgive me."

"Deal."

I let go of his neck, looking deep into his eyes. This was the Nick I wanted. The Nick I loved.

"Can I?" I asked, gesturing to his bed.

He scooched over, making room for me.

"Hop on in Hopps."

I sighed at his lame joke and jumped up to his bed, lying beside him. It felt good to be next to him again. It was something I had dearly missed while we were apart. He wrapped his right paw around me, pulling me into his side.

"You know, the nurses probably aren't going to be very happy about this."

I put my paw on his chest tenderly and looked up at him, trying to look as cute as possible.

"You think I care?"

"Oooo, naughty bunny! Aren't you supposed to be setting good examples for citizens Officer?"

I grinned,

"Oh, shut up."

I kissed him and it was like kissing him for the first time again. Sweet and passionate, I felt my heart sing in my chest. I broke the kiss only when I heard the jingling of the doorknob. I quickly threw the covers over me, hoping whoever it was wouldn't notice the bunny-sized lump under the blanket.

"Everything okay in here, Mr. Wilde?" I heard a nurse ask.

"Everything is perfect," he said, giving my shoulder a slight squeeze.

"Well, it's lights out. Good night Mr. Wilde."

"Night."

I felt the room go dark and heard the door close. I removed the covers from my body. The room was now dimly lit, and there was no chance that a nurse would walk in. Nick smirked at me.

"Cozy down there Juds?"

I nestled my face into his side, careful not to cause him pain.

"Mhm," I hummed in a euphoric tone.

He chuckled.

"I love you, my cute little Cottontail."

Usually I would kill him for calling me cute, but I let it slide.

"I love you too, my sly, dumb fox."

I woke up startled at the gasp of a nurse, causing me to kick Nick in the tail. He let out a high pitched squawk as his eyes opened in shock and pain. Needless to say, I was no longer allowed to visit Nick without the accompaniment of a nurse.

He stayed in the hospital for three days. It was grueling not getting any alone time with him, even just for three days. I suppose it was better than not seeing him at all. Definitely better than not seeing him at all for those three weeks.

Finally, the day arrived. The day Nick would be checked out of the hospital. I bounded out of bed with excitement. This was the first time in almost a month that it would just be Nick and I for the whole day. I had missed the little things. The little daily interactions with him. Today was going to be great!

Nick POV

I woke up in a great deal of pain. I moaned and rolled over to my other side. The doctors had taken me off the strong painkiller they had been giving me in preparation for my departure today. I was now just on pills, no IVs, and man did it make a difference.

Every part of my body felt achy and stiff. From my chest, to my tail, to my arms and legs. It was painful just rolling over. I pressed the button on the side of my bed, calling in a nurse. A small red panda walked in.

"Hello Mr. Wilde! Good to see you up! Excited to go home today?"

I mumbled unintelligibly, annoyed and in pain. The only thing to get excited about was Judy...and without her present, my energy levels felt at an all-time low.

"Come on , it's time to get dressed! Ms. Hopps should be here any minute now."

My ears perked up. I could feel my energy rising just at the mention of her name. The door closed and I was left alone. I painfully sat up in my bed, and swung my legs over the right side. Pushing up slowly with my right paw, I was able to stand up, wincing as I did. Shaking, I stood to my feet. "Now what?" I muttered out loud. I tried taking a step forward, doing as best I could to maintain my balance. I lifted my foot ever so slightly, inching it forward. I felt it touch the cold, chilling floor. How was I expected to put my clothes on when I could barely take a step?

Judy POV

I was on my way to the hospital, humming happily. I had already been by Nick's place to pick up his necessities (he always left his door unlocked). There was no way I was letting him be alone, at least not for the first few recovery days. I had already asked for the next three days off, granted by Bogo. I pulled into the parking lot, hardly able to contain my joy, I skipped through the hospital doors. Animals were giving me strange looks, probably wondering what such a happy rabbit like me was doing at a hospital. I didn't care. I was focused on getting Nick home. I leapt up the steps to the fourth floor then to Nick's room, greeting a red panda that waited outside the door.

"Hiya! Is he ready yet?"

"Not yet Ms. Hopps. Please, take a seat," she replied, smiling politely as she gestured towards a chair near to the door.

Suddenly, a loud bang came from inside his room, followed by a yell of "God damn it!".

Concerned for Nick, I quickly jumped from my chair!

"Excuse me Ms. Hopps, I'll be right back!" the red panda said urgently, concern on her face as well. She pulled the door open, scurrying into the room. I craned my neck, trying to catch a glimpse of Nick.

It was too late, the door had already shut behind her. What on earth was going on in that room?


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Nick POV

"God damn it!" I yelled, as I fell flat on my face.

I became a little too overconfident with my ability to walk, and it lead me to tripping over the wheel of a cart. My body hit the ground hard. I cursed and hissed in pain on the cold floor, unable to move. Suddenly, I heard the door behind me burst open as someone rushed inside the room.

"God, I hope that's not Judy," I thought, embarrassed at my current situation.

"Oh, Mr. Wilde! Hang on, let me get some help!" a voice cried.

I breathed a sigh of relief. Thank god it was only the panda. I had no choice but to lay there. There was no chance of me getting up by myself.

After a few moments I heard the soft padding of paws behind me.

"Hey! When is that help coming?" I called out.

I laid flat on my stomach, neck extended so my chin rested on the floor, giving me a perfect view of the paws coming towards me.

The paws stopped in front of my face. I looked up to see a certain bunny staring back at me, smirking in amusement at my current predicament.

"Oh hey Nick, you having fun down there?"

I gave her a dopey grin, trying not to show any shock or pain in my face.

"Hey there Hopps. Having a blast! Whatcha doing?"

"I think I should be asking you that question."

"Yeah...I seem to be having a little trouble walking."

She knelt down to eye level.

"Aww, is poor whittle Nicky stuck? Does whittle Nicky need help, huh?" she asked, teasingly while stroking my cheek with the back of her paw, like my mother used to do when I was sick.

"It would be a shame if someone were able to get a picture of this..."

"You wouldn't even try-" I started before yelping in surprise.

Too late, I had already been blinded by the flash of her camera. I sighed deeply.

"Alright, alright, this is just for me," she cooed, smiling sweetly. "Now, maybe we should actually try to get you up?"

Judy POV

After Nick's little tumble, nurses were able to help him up and get him dressed. That was something I left the room for.

In a few moments, he was brought out, limping along with the use of a crutch under his right arm. Much like I had been when I was shot a few months back. He had taken such good care of me in my time of need. Now, it was my turn to return the favor.

The doctors told me that I needed to change the bandages on his torso twice a day and to do the same for his left arm. I got very good at dressing wounds while working on the force. It was something I regularly had to do for myself. However, dressing Nick's wounds made me a bit nervous. His were far more extensive than any wound I had ever dealt with.

When he first walked out, I was a bit shocked. He looked extremely rugged and tired. His eyes were drooping, as if there were weights attached to his eyelids. He managed to muster a smile when he saw me.

"Hey Carrots. Ready to go?"

"I think I should be asking you that question! Are you sure you're okay?"

He nodded reassuringly, and I could tell he just wanted to curl up in bed. I stuck by his side as he walked down the hallway, making sure if he stumbled I was there to catch him. Even though we walked at a slow pace, I could tell this was wearing him out. When we reached my car, Nick looked like he was about to collapse. The fox was panting, and his cheeks were somewhat pale. I opened the car door for him and Nick flopped into the seat, wincing as he did.

"Nick, are you sure-"

"Yep," he cut me off, still panting. "I'm...I'm good."

I gave him a skeptic look, which caused him to flash me an innocent smile. I shook my head while closing the car door on him. I took the crutch he had leaned against the side of my car and tossed it in the trunk.

"Maybe he just needs a good night's sleep," I thought. "Yeah, that must be it."

Feeling reassured, I jumped into the driver's seat, and pulled out of the lot.

Nick POV

Now I really felt terrible. My body was ready to completely shut down, and I could pass out at any moment. It was a major struggle just to get to the car. As we started driving, I noticed that we weren't heading towards my apartment.

"Juds….you missed...the turn...to my apartment," I said, still breathless.

She waved her paw at me dismissively,

"You really think I'd let you go back there, alone, in the state you're in? Nuh-uh, mister. You're staying with me the next few days. And before you protest, I already took the next three days off, so it's settled," she told me sternly, not taking her eyes off the road.

I curved my lips ever so slightly.

"You're so sexy….when you're assertive."

She gave me a glance, blushing crimson.

"Anyways, you're going to have my bed too. I won't have you sleeping on the couch with your injuries."

She noticed the concerned look I was giving her.

"I'll be fine Nicholas, I can handle sleeping on the couch for a few nights."

I realized how futile my attempts to convince her otherwise would be, so I shut my trap. If this is the way she wanted it, no amount of arguing out of me was going to change her mind.

"I already have everything set up for you, I brought all of your essentials from your apartment. You should really try locking your door."

"It's not like I have….anything in there worth stealing anyways."

I looked over at her, a glimmer catching my eye. She was wearing the necklace I had given her on her birthday. She noticed me staring at it and reached a paw up, touching it.

"I..never really took this off, even after...I still had it on, underneath my shirt. I just figured since we were back together that…"

"It looks great on you Juds." I smiled lazily at her. "That reminds me...I think I should be getting a certain watch strap back…"

Judy POV

We pulled into the parking lot of my apartment and I was happy to see Nick was a little more perky after discovering I was wearing his necklace. It was true. I had never taken it off. It was always underneath my clothes even after we had broken up. I was never ready to let him go.

I guided Nick to the elevator, which carried us up to my floor. Once we entered my apartment he immediately started towards my room, obviously eager to lay down and relax. I wanted nothing more than that for him, but I grabbed his paw and pulled him back.

"Not so fast Wilde. I cleaned my sheets all nicely for you and you haven't showered in days. The least you could do for me clean yourself up."

He groaned.

"Yes, Mother," he said sarcastically.

I handed him a towel and washcloth, and he entered into my bathroom. After a few seconds however, I heard the door creak open again.

"Ah, Judy?"

"Yes Nick?"

"I uh, I can't get my shirt off."

I froze, remembering how much pain he must be in. The thought of undressing Nick also crossed my mind. I had never seen him shirtless. Even though his chest was bare in the hospital, he was so heavily bandaged, his torso was nearly completely covered.

"Well, come on out then. Let's get it off of you."

He slowly shuffled out of the bathroom, head hanging like he was a little kid in trouble. I sat on the edge of my bed and patted the spot next to me, gesturing for him to sit.

Once he did I stood in front of him, nervous and anxious. I shook the nervousness off. There was nothing strange about this, Nick needed my help. He was in pain! Besides...we were friends. Well, more than friends...but still!

I slowly started unbuttoning his shirt, revealing his heavily bandaged chest. Once I had undone all the buttons I carefully slid one arm out of the shirt, then the other, trying to make it as painless as possible. Still, I could tell by his low whining how much it hurt him.

"I'm sorry Nick, I have to."

"I know, just get it over with."

I nodded. It was time to take off the bandages now. I started with the wrap on his left arm, where his paw used to be. I was shaking, unsure of how bad the amputation would look.

Surprisingly, it didn't look too bad. Sure it was red, but I could already see some fur starting to grow back. I looked up at him and gave him a reassuring smile.

"This looks good Nicky! See? Some of your fur is already starting to come back in!"

He smiled back at me, but it was obvious he was trying to mask his pain.

I climbed on the bed behind him, ready to start unraveling his chest.

"Ready?" I asked, my fingers dancing over the bandages.

He took a deep breath in.

"As ready as I'll ever be."

I found where the bandage started and began pulling, wrapping my paws around him so I could go as quickly as possible, passing the end of the bandage to the other paw.

As I uncovered more and more of his back, I discovered that it really wasn't too bad.

'Huh…' I thought, 'Maybe he healed up quickly!'

Sure there were a few scabs here and there, but nothing too major. Finally, the process was complete. He then stood up, his front now facing me.

I let out a sudden gasp, not expecting what I saw. There were deep gashes all across his chest, obviously claw marks. There seemed to be more scabs than fur.

"Oh Nicky, I hadn't realized..."

He shrugged nonchalantly. I was on the verge of tears now. I wanted to find the wolf that did this and those bears. I wanted to.. I stopped myself there. That wolf...that was something I needed to ask Nick about. He turned back around, walking towards the door to the bathroom.

"Oh, before I forget, since you love my tail so much..." he said teasingly.

I looked at his back, wondering what was coming next. Suddenly, he dropped his pants, giving his... uh... rear... a wiggle.

"Nicholas!" I yelled while throwing my paws up to shield my eyes, horror in my voice.

I heard him laugh, something I hadn't heard in awhile, and the bathroom door shut.

Nick POV

I was still chuckling about my little stunt after my shower, remembering the horror on Judy's face when I looked back at her.

"I still can't believe you did that," she muttered as she reapplied new bandages on my injuries.

"I think you liked it, at least a little bit."

"Shut up!"

I felt the gauze tighten as she pinned it to itself, finished with the wrap.

"Thanks Cottontail." I turned to face her, smiling thankfully.

"I'm really tired, so I think I'm gonna hit the hay if that's alright with you."

She nodded as she stood up from the bed, smoothing down the pants that covered her thighs.

"There's just one thing I need to ask you first."

I cocked my head, wondering what it could be.

"Alright. Shoot."

"Who were those animals? The ones that captured you...the wolf and the two bears?" she asked carefully, like I was a witness at a crime scene.

My throat tightened just thinking about them.

"The wolf...his name is Jack London. We used to be conning partners until he turned his back on me to take a bigger payday, leaving me out in the rain. I was able to get him back though….at the expense of his leg. I didn't mean for it to happen, but it did. As for the bears...probably just his goonies. Never seen them before."

She nodded as I talked, trying to take in all the details. She gave me a sheepish, almost worrisome look after a few moments.

"Do you think….they'll do something like this again?"

"Probably. It would surprise me if they didn't, actually."

"Have you told Chief Bogo about this?"

"Nah. He doesn't need to know, or get involved."

"Nick! You see what they did to you, if they might do it again, we need to find them!"

"Judy. Really it's fine. I can handle myself."

Her eyes started welling up with tears.

"What if they come after me?" she said in a meek, childlike voice.

My heart stopped. I had never considered that they might use Judy as leverage in the future. If anything were to happen to her because of me…

"Nicky…..I'm scared."

Since I was laying in bed, I scooched over to give her room.

"Well, there's always room for one more in here."

She quickly walked over to the bed, crawling up in the space I had provided for her. I wrapped my left arm around her, upset that I could no longer hold her with my paw.

"I'm not going to let anything happen to you Carrots. I'll tell Bogo. We'll find them."

She sniffled, trying to calm down.

"Oh, you bunnies, so emotional," I joked.

She laughed, remembering our first hug under that bridge.

"I got you Cottontail," I said lovingly. "I got you."


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Nick POV

"Nicky! I got you something!"

I perked my ears and lifted my head up from the pillow. Judy had gone shopping, but she hadn't told me what for. She walked into the room, her cheeks rosy from excitement. She was holding a box behind her back, about the size of a large hardcover book.

"I don't recall it being my birthday," I smirked, teasingly cocking an eyebrow at her.

She rolled her eyes.

"It's your 'get better' present silly!" she teased.

She hopped up on the bed and sat herself between my legs, still holding the box behind her.

"First, you asked for this back."

She reached in her pocket, setting the box behind her. She pulled out the watch strap I had thrown at her feet. I picked it up quickly, happy to finally have it back.

"Thanks Juds!"

I reached over to my watch sitting on the bedside table, replacing my old strap with the new one.

When I turned back to her, the box was resting on her lap. I eyed it suspiciously. What could be inside?

She picked it up and passed it along to me. I took it in my right paw and placed it on my lap. Steadying the box with my left arm, I pried open the top of the box and was met with an array of bubble wrap.

I reached into the box and found something heavy. Unwrapping it, I beamed almost as bright as Judy.

"How did you know?" I asked, admiring my gift.

"I noticed how much you liked taking pictures, I figured it would be something you'd enjoy!" she said, her grin growing.

It was a polaroid camera. Much like the one I had as a kid. Black and bulky, but with old school charm. I held it up to my eye, pointing it at the smiling Judy. I quickly snapped a picture, wanting to capture the moment. Gears in the camera starting to whir. A few second later, a beaming picture of Judy came sliding out of the camera. I held it up to her, making her giggle.

"Come here, you beautiful bunny you," I said as I stretched my arms out, signifying my need for a hug.

She tenderly crawled over my lap, understanding that I was still not fully healed. She curled up on my stomach, humming softly. I wrapped my arms around her, holding her as tightly as I could without causing myself pain.

"Thank you so much Judy. It's perfect."

I nuzzled the top of her head with my chin. She looked up at me.

"You're welcome Nicky."

She sat up, legs straddling my waist. Her nose was just inches from mine. I pressed my nose against hers, our lips dancing softly across each other's. Finally, I couldn't resist. I firmly pressed my mouth onto hers. My mind cleared as for the first time in a long time, I felt at peace.

Judy POV

My lips were interlocked with Nick's in a passionate, almost hungry kiss. I could tell he needed this as badly as I did. I felt his paw press against my back, pulling me in closer to him. I obliged and pressed myself against him, careful not to put all my weight on his chest. My legs were still wrapped around his midsection. I could feel his tail wagging underneath his body, lightly brushing my toes. I tried to contain a giggle, but eventually I couldn't help but to break the kiss with a loud laugh.

I threw my head back, obviously startling Nick at first. Then, he seemed to understand what was happening.

"Ooohhh, is the bunbun ticklish?" he asked with a devious grin on his face.

I tried to shake my head, but with his tail still flicking against the bottom of my feet, he was making it nearly impossible.

"N-n-no!" I tried to say convincingly, but I had already revealed the true answer.

I tried squirming away, still giggling. I started crawling back on the bed, his tail no longer making contact with my feet.

"Someone is ly-ing!" he said in a sing song voice, his arms stretching out to capture me in an embrace.

"Nick!" I tried to protest, but it was too late.

His arms wrapped around my stomach, pulling me towards him. I let out a little squeak as his paw starting rubbing my side, one of my most ticklish spots.

Nick POV

I chuckled at her little squeak, as I ran my paw up and down her side, using my left arm to keep her in place.

"That squeal was too cute Carrots! You're killing me!" I said loudly, trying to talk over her spastic laughs.

She was hysterical, kicking the air as I continued to tickle her. I felt a jab in my side, knocking the wind out of me. As I attempted to recover she was able to slip out of my arms, lying on her back at the foot of the bed. Her chest was rising and falling rapidly, as was mine.

Once I was able to breath normally, I crawled on the bed over to her and positioned myself so I was looking into her amethyst eyes. I could tell by looking at her that this was one of the few times she was truly carefree. Not thinking about work or any of her problems. This was rare for her. I needed to enjoy it while I could.

"I love you," she whispered softly.

I had heard her say it many times now, but each time still gave me as many butterflies as the first time. I was lost in her eyes, trying to find words to express what I was feeling. I opened my mouth multiple times to speak, but all that came out were soft purrs. How was I so lucky to have her? To be able to hold her? This sweet, compassionate, caring, adorable, rabbit has chosen me. It made me feel like the luckiest fox...well...ever.

"I love you too," I finally managed to say.

Judy POV

He was so cute when he was flustered, which wasn't often. Him sitting over me. Me staring into his emerald eyes. There was nowhere I'd rather be.

"Well, someone's certainly feeling better," I said teasingly, raising one of my paws to stroke his muzzle.

He purred gently.

"All thanks to you," he said sweetly, planting a kiss on my forehead.

He drew back, as I continued to pet his muzzle.

"You're doing it again," I smirked.

"What?" he said innocently, giving me his puppy-dog eyes.

"Staring at me!"

"Well, you are right here. Besides, how could I take my eyes off such an adorable whittle bunny?" he smirked, and brought his lips to mine again.

His tongue looped around mine as I felt a soft purr escape my throat. He pressed my head down into the mattress as far as it would go. It was almost like we were fighting, trying to get closer than we already were, making sure there was no air between us.

Surprisingly, he was the one to break the kiss. Usually he would kiss me all day if he could. However, the break didn't last long as he started kissing my left cheek, working his way down to my neck. I wrapped my arms around his neck, enjoying the sensation I was feeling. I ran my fingers through his soft fur, not wanting him to ever leave.

I took the opportunity to play with the fur on his head and neck, nudging it with my nose. I breathed in deeply, smelling his aroma. The sweet, familiar scent hit my nose.

"Mmm...blueberries."

"Hmm?" Nick drew back a bit, and I could see his confused expression out of the corner of my eye. "Blueberries?"

I blinked a few times, just as confused as he was. Then it hit me,"Oh, sorry. You always smell like blueberries, it just kinda slipped out." A smile grew on my face. "I have to admit though, the name does suit you. Blueberries, I think that should be your new nickname."

He smirked as well, and rolled his eyes a bit. "Whatever floats your boat Carrots. I'm not gonna complain." He chuckled a bit, then nuzzled his muzzle into my neck again.

Nick POV

I nestled my snout into Judy's neck, smelling her own sweet aroma, planting soft pecks on her neck, love flowing through me. As much as I was enjoying the moment, I broke it. I didn't want to progress any further. Intimacy was something I held extremely close. It was something I wanted to save for marriage. As much as I loved Judy, that was a step I wasn't willing to take right now. Knowing her, I could feel she felt the same way. I climbed off of her, sitting up on her bed. She sat up as well, blushing deeply.

"So, since it's your last day off, why don't we find something to do, spend some quality time together?" I asked.

Her ears perked up, and her mouth opened with enjoyment.

"That sounds great! I think I have some board games in my closet over here…"

She hopped off the bed, and slid open her closet door. She hunched over, digging through boxes neatly organized on her closet floor.

"Aha!" she yelled.

She stepped out of her closet, holding a box above her head triumphantly. I smirked when I saw what game she had chosen.

"Are you sure you want to play Zoopoly with an expert conman, Carrots?" I said with a wink.

"Ex-conman. And I think I'm more than capable of holding my own, thank you very much. You do remember when I hustled you, don't you sweetie?"

She shifted her weight onto one hip, looking confident.

"Well, Ms. Hopps, if you're so confident, why don't we make a little bet, hmm?" I challenged her, giving a sly grin.

She gave me a sly grin back.

"Oh, you are so on! Let's say, loser has to admit something to the winner. Something personal, no cop outs. Deal?"

She stuck out her paw.

I stuck out my left arm and she grabbed it before realizing I no longer had a left paw. She froze, realizing her mistake. I laughed and extended my only remaining paw. She took it, begrudgingly.

"You're such a dork," she muttered under her breath.

"I know," I retorted, content with myself.

She laid the box on the bed, tossing the lid off. I was ready to play. I was determined to maintain my hustler image. I mean, I had done this for 20 years. While Judy may be smart, she didn't have the experience. This was going to be a cakewalk.

Judy POV

We had been playing for about two hours now. I was slowly racking up properties while Nick was constantly landing on mine. I could see the stress getting to him. He slowly became more focused, more intense, as he watched his stack of money dwindle while mine kept rising. He was also getting more frustrated, which I found hilarious and in turn made him more frustrated. He was also very cute when he was frustrated.

He was down to his last dollar, barely clinging onto life. Meanwhile, I felt like I was running an empire, owning more than ¾ of the board. I gestured towards the dice smugly, enjoying my position of power.

"Your turn, Blueberries. It'd be a real shame if you landed on one of my properties…"

He mumbled something intelligible under his breath and he picked up the dice. I wasn't able to catch all of what he said, but it sounded something along the lines of "...dumb bunny…".

He shook the dice in his paw and flung them onto the board, rolling a seven. I could see his face crumble as he he slowly moved his piece, realizing a seven would land him on one of my properties.

Dejected, he slammed the piece down on the spot, crossing his arms in denial.

I stuck out my paw, curling my fingers.

"Alright foxy, time to pay up," I said, victorious.

He huffed, uncrossing his arms, hurling his last dollar bill at me. I graciously accepted, and added it to my mountain of money.

"Well, well, well," I stated, picking up a stack of bills, rifling through them with my fingers. "What do we have here?"

He gave me a glare. He had obviously not expected me to win. I imagined his ego was hurt as well. After all, he was a hustler for almost 20 years.

"Well Juds, I have to admit. You won fair and square," he said, his words conveying a different message than his tone.

I cocked my head at him.

"It's called a hustle, sweetheart," I smirked, repeating the same words he had said to me on my first day as a police officer.

"Now, I think there's an agreement you need to honor, Nick."

"Oh, right," His face softened, his arms uncrossed.

"Well, I uh, I don't really know how to say this..."

He was looking down now, suddenly interested in his feet as he picked at the pads on the bottom of them. He was obviously nervous, reluctant to share whatever it was.

"You see, I hadn't really planned on losing..." he trailed off, still picking at his feet.

"Nick, whatever it is, just tell me! You do trust me, don't you?"

He looked in my eyes.

"Of course I do! It's just...I don't know how you're going to react…" he trailed off again.

I gave him a reassuring look, encouraging him to say what was on his mind.

"It's alway been a dream of mine, and now that I have you, it seems more possible...I...I've always wanted kits."


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Judy POV

I sat there staring at him, too stunned to speak.

There was no smug tone in Nick's voice, and when I looked into his eyes, I could tell he was being genuine.

This was emphasized by the way he was running his right paw along the back on his neck, stealing glances at me. He seemed embarrassed and nervous to hear my response.

I pushed the board game sitting in between us out of the way. The game was no longer important. I crawled over to him before seating myself directly in front of him, our legs brushing against each other. I reached up to grab his right arm and clasped his paw in mine. He looked deeply at me, his eyes seeming misty.

I gulped nervously, unsure of how to put my thoughts into words. Usually, it was frowned upon for couples to talk about kits before marriage. Then again, a fox and a bunny being in a relationship was generally frowned upon as well.

"I-I mean, it's not something to worry about right now, I just thought you should know," he said, sniffling softly.

I rubbed his paw, trying to come up with something to say.

"Nicky, remember before...Waters," I flinched at his name.

"You asked me what I was thinking about. You said I seemed distracted. I was thinking about this. Our future. Our possible kits. I mean, coming from a family with so many kits, and being a rabbit...it's almost expected of me to have my own. Someday down the road, who knows? I think it'd be wonderful! Though, I don't know how it would work…" I trailed off, studying his face.

"Yeah! I mean, I haven't looked into the biological factors but...it's something to think about, right? And adoption is always an option!" He looked at me wistfully.

I nodded.

"We'll talk more about it if we get there. But yeah, having kits...it'd be a dream come true," I answered with a smile.

I crawled up into his lap, feeling the warmth of his chest on my cheek. I could hear his heart beating in his chest, one of my favorite things about cuddling with him. When his arms wrapped around my body, I felt at home. This is where I was supposed to be.

Nick POV

I definitely wasn't expecting that reaction. I figured me thinking about kits would be out of bounds, completely off limits. To find out it wasn't, and that she has even been thinking about it as well, it's left me a bit dumbfounded. How I am so lucky to have this rabbit in my life, I will never know.

"So, I have an idea," I whispered, running my paws over her back.

"Uh oh, Nicholas Wilde has an idea? That's never good. Remember the idea that almost got us fired, and separated us as partners?" she teased, moving her head to smirk up at me. I rolled my eyes, laughing in a breath out of my nose.

"Yeah, well, I think you'll like this one better."

Judy POV

"Nick, I know where we are, you don't have to hold your paw over my eyes," I huffed, feeling my way up a hill with my feet. He made me promise to close my eyes as we walked, but as soon as the sound of mammals bustling about hit my ears, I knew.

"Well aren't you little Miss Party Pooper." Despite my words, he kept his paws over my eyes, guiding me to the top of the hill. I felt the ground flatten into a clearing, and Nick's paw stopped me from walking any farther. "Woah there, don't go walking off the ledge bun bun," he teased, before removing his paw from my eyes. "Ta da!"

Yep, we were exactly where I thought we would be. The city stretched out in front of us, the sun setting behind the skyline. A park bustled beneath us, filled with couples making out on benches, and families enjoying the late fall weather. I couldn't blame them, the air was wonderful. I looked over at Nick, who seemed to be enjoying the atmosphere just as much as I was.

"Well Blueberries, for once in your life you finally had a good idea," I joked, punching his arm playfully.

He chuckled, taking his eyes off the city to stare down at me. "I dunno, I'd say asking you out was a pretty good idea."

A blush rushed across my face, filling my cheeks with warmth. He sat down, crossing his legs and turning back to the sunset. I plopped down next to him, leaning my head against his shoulder. His arm wrapped around me, snuggling me closer to his side. My cheek brushed against the polaroid that hung around his neck, making me scoff slightly.

"You look like a tacky tourist with that thing," I murmured.

"All I need now is the fanny pack. You gonna get that for me next Carrots?" I rolled my eyes, then felt the camera brush against my cheek again as he raised it with his right paw. He snapped a picture of the skyline, smiling contently as the photo printed. He then turned the camera on us.

"Say carrots, Hopps!"

"Carrots!" I said cheerfully, smiling wide. A flash, then the sound of gears turning. I reached for the picture after it had printed, but he snatched it before I could get my paws on it.

"Nuh uh. Mine," he said smugly, stuffing the picture into his pocket.

I cocked my eyebrow, frowning slightly. "What are you going to do with it?"

"You'll see."

Nick POV

I woke up the next morning with Judy in my arms. She was facing towards me, her nose twitching every so often. I smiled sleepily. I could get used to this. Unfortunately, today was the day Judy would be going back to work. Meaning I would be returning to my dinky apartment. I groaned softly, much preferring Judy's living arrangements over my own. Especially since she was here. But Judy was extremely adamant about moving in, wanting to save it for marriage. She argued it was a big step and giant commitment in a relationship. I respected her opinion, but still…

Suddenly, I had an idea. I looked over at the clock on her table. It would just be minutes until she woke up so I had to act fast. I reached over to the bedside table, where I had left my polaroid. I lifted it, positioning it over us. I smiled, and snapped a picture. The flash went off, causing Judy to stir as the picture printed out.

"Nick? Wh-what are you doing?" she inquired while yawning, her eyes still half closed.

The picture had fully printed out now, and I quickly hid it, placing the polaroid back on the table.

"Nothing you need to be concerned about," I said happily, kissing her on the top of her ears then her cheek.

"What time is it?" she asked, now becoming more aware of her surroundings.

"Not important," I said, still smiling, stroking the top of her left ear, enjoying and marvelling at how soft it is.

She smiled back at me. "As great as this is, yes, it is important."

She sat up a bit, glancing at her clock. She sighed, reluctant to get up.

"Sorry Blueberries, I gotta get ready."

She planted a soft kiss on my nose and sat fully up in the bed. I watched as she got up and walked out of the room into the kitchen, admiring her cute, fluffy little tail. I got up, trying to be as quiet as possible as I walked over to her dresser. I carefully pulled open her bottom drawer where she kept her uniform. I found a marker on top of her dresser and wrote on the polaroid I had just taken. I smiled, content with what I had wrote and slipped it into the pocket of her pants. I neatly folded them back up, making sure she didn't become suspicious, and leapt back into bed right as she returned with two bowls. She handed me one of them, it was full of blueberries.

"Thanks Cottontail," I winked at her, popping one of the delectable berries into my mouth.

She giggled, "Scooch over hog, I want to watch the news."

I obliged, leaving room for her to lay next to me. She grabbed the remote and turned on the TV before hopping into the bed, putting my left arm around her. I rested my stump on her shoulder, upset that I wasn't able to really hold her with that arm like I used to. We sat like that as we finished our bowls of berries. Judy reluctantly left the bed again, getting up to brush her teeth and put on her uniform. While she was doing that, I too changed and started packing up my stuff to return home. I placed my polaroid in my bag last, not wanting to possibly damage it by putting any weight on top of it. I zipped up my duffel bag, placing it by the door. I turned around, and Judy was standing there, keys in paw.

"Ready to go?"

"Yes, officer. Since I'm a fox, do I have to ride in the back?"

She rolled her eyes, smiling.

"Doofus."

Judy POV

I stopped in front of Nick's apartment, looking at the rundown building, I felt bad that this is what Nick had to call home. Then again, there was no way I was letting him move in with me, at least not permanently. Sleepovers were fine, and since he was hurt, I had allowed three days, but moving in permanently was out of the question. At least, for right now. He looked over at me, extending his neck for a goodbye kiss. I grabbed his cheeks (so soft!), and planted a peck on his lips. He pouted at me, still leaning in.

"Awww, is that all the whittle bun bun is going to give me?"

I smirked, grabbing his cheeks again, planting a dominate kiss on his lips. When I pulled back, the look of surprise on his face made me laugh.

"Alright, get out now, you've already made me five minutes late."

He grabbed his bag, and exited the car, still not closing the door.

"Stay safe, okay?" he said, concern rising in his voice.

"Always."

He closed the door, and I blew him a kiss as I drove away. He held up his right paw, as if to catch it, smiling slyly. I hadn't been driving for long when I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. I waited until I had pulled into the parking lot of the station to look at it, wanting to stay safe, as Nick had told me to do. I pressed the home button, unlocking the phone. It was from Nick.

"Check your pockets ;)" it read.

I set my phone down on my dashboard, patting my pockets to try and find whatever Nick had left me. Once I got to my left pocket of my pants, I felt a small square inside. I reached in, pulling out a picture. There I was, still asleep in Nick's arm, looking peaceful, and there was Nick, smiling dopily at the camera. I could tell it had been taken this morning, that must have been what that flash was. He also wrote something in marker underneath it.

"To the cutest bunny around: I love you 3- Nick."

I held the photo to my chest, the picture colliding with my necklace from Nick. It was one of the sweetest and most thoughtful things he had ever done for me, and I was going to cherish it.

However, I was going to have to beat him up for calling me cute.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Nick POV

I was flopped on the couch, legs hanging over the arm of the sofa and plates and cups surrounding me. I felt like I hadn't moved in days, probably because I really hadn't. I was still on leave for my injuries, so I had little motivation to do anything except to binge watch Breaking Baaaad for the millionth time.

I huffed, feeling the need to relieve myself. I only got up for two things over the past few days; food and bathroom breaks. I swung my legs off the arm of the couch and moved into a sitting position. I was faced with what seemed like a mountain of dirty plates and I contemplated whether or not I should actually do something with my life and clean them.

Nah, I thought, Not worth it.

I stood up and began walking slowly over to my dinky bathroom. I rubbed my neck, sore from staying in the same position for too long. I could say that about pretty much every one of my body parts. Even the paw I didn't have felt sore.

As I was walking, I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. I whipped it out and answered without even looking at who was calling.

"Wilde here, whatcha need?"

"I need you at the station, immediately. There's a fox here asking for you by name. We think it's the one you and Judy reported a few months ago." Chief Bogo's gruff voice rang in my ears.

I snapped out of my lazy state, forgetting about my bladder situation.

"I'm on the way, Chief."

I walked as quickly as I could to my dresser, and pulled out my uniform, frantically putting it on as I did. Anger started flowing through me, accompanied by pain. Pain that I wanted Dylan to feel. Pain that I needed Dylan to feel.

Pinning my badge on my shirt, I exited my apartment, ready to face the fox that had caused Judy so much pain.

Judy POV

I slumped over my desk, absolutely beat from going through what seemed like mounds of paperwork, and it was only Tuesday. Great.

I checked the time on my phone, eager for lunch to roll around. Nick had agreed to finally meet me at my favorite coffee shop. For the last few days, he seemed rooted to his couch. He refused to get up for pretty much anything. But he had gone through a lot recently, so I gave him a pass. However, I only let that pass extend for a few days. (You have to get up at some point Nicky.).

Just as I was putting it away, my phone starting ringing. I looked at the screen and saw it was Nick. I took a deep breath, and answered, holding the phone up to my ear.

"Hey Nicky!" I tried to sound perky and full of energy.

"Hey Fluff face. Listen, I know we agreed to meet up for lunch but….something's come up. Something urgent. You probably already know what it is." I shook my head, not understanding.

"No? Should I?"

"Has Chief Bogo not told you?" His voice was high-pitched, as it often got when he was worried or concerned.

"No? Nick, just tell me what's going on."

"Well…" I could hear the hesitation in his voice.

"They think they've caught Dylan. Bogo just called me to tell me, said he was asking for me by name. I just assumed that he told you."

My heart skipped a beat. Dylan was here? In this building? The very thought of it sent a shiver down my spine. It was almost like I could feel his paws on me again...touching me…

"Whiskers? You still there?" I snapped out of thought, forgetting I was still on the phone with Nick.

"Y-Yeah," I replied meekly. My paws were starting to shake uncontrollably. "Are you on your way here?"

"Yep, I left about five minutes ago. Are you okay?"

I could hear the concern in his voice.

"No," I answered honestly.

"Hold on Carrot Cake, I'm on the way."

The call disconnected. I set my phone down on my desk, my paws still shaking. I rubbed them nervously together, spreading the sweat that had begun to form on my palms.

I hadn't thought about Dylan for a while now, but knowing he was more than likely extremely close to me, it made me feel sick. I glanced at the clock on the wall, wishing Nick was here already. I needed to see him, to be in his arms, to hear him tell me everything was okay.

I sat at my desk and watched as minutes ticked by. My foot was thumping against the floor nervously, my paws still quivering. I tried to push the painful memories of Dylan out of my mind, but I couldn't, they seemed engraved in my brain. I felt as helpless now as I did then.

I heard the door to my office open and there was Nick. He looked like hell, and I could tell by the odor filling the room he hadn't showered in days. I didn't care, I ran straight into his arms, knocking the wind out of him.

"Hey Juds," he said softly, encasing my small frame in his arms.

I tried to stop my trembling, but I couldn't. I buried my face in his chest, as quiet tears started staining the front of his uniform.

"Nick, I-I...I just..." I stuttered

"Shhhhh, you don't have to say anything Judy."

His embrace became tighter. His paw started stroking my ears, trying to calm me down. I felt a shudder of relief go through my body. Everything was going to be okay. I was with Nick. I was in his arms. Everything was going to be okay.

I let a deep sigh, I could already feel my trembling becoming less violent.

"As much as I'd love to stay, Bogo wants me to talk to...him."

I was thankful that Nick refrained from mentioning his name. I couldn't stand the thought of Nick being in the same room as him, but I knew it had to happen. I reluctantly pulled away, wiping the tears from my eyes. I felt his paw against my cheek, his thumb rubbing my fur.

"I gotta go, okay?"

I nodded somberly. He bent down, placing a kiss on the tips of both my ears, then my forehead, my nose, then finally my lips. The next thing I knew, he was gone, and I was left alone again.

Nick POV

I exited the office, not wanting to leave Judy. I wiped my eyes, trying to prepare myself to face the fox that had caused Judy so much harm. It tore me up to see Judy like that, shaking like a leaf. He was going to pay for that. I navigated the halls of the ZPD, and ended up facing the door that Bogo had told me to meet him in.

I took a deep breath, composing myself, and entered the room. Bogo was sitting in a chair, studying a pane of glass. Hearing the door open, he swiveled his head to greet me.

"Wilde, good to see you. How you holding up?"

"Fine, Chief. Getting better."

He nodded, and gestured towards the glass pane.

"Is this the fox you reported? Dylan, I believe his name is?"

I winced at his name, and turned my head to see what Bogo was gesturing at. It was a small room, with a metal table and two chairs. Sitting in one of the chairs was a certain blonde fox, who happened to be handcuffed. He looked relaxed, a little too comfortable given his current situation. My eyes narrowed once I saw him. I felt my natural predatory instincts starting to kick in. He hurt my mate. I needed to hurt him.

I tried to shake the thought from my head, but it stayed, nagging me.

No, I thought, I need to control myself, I can't jeopardize my job.

"Yeah, that's Dylan alright."

"What can you tell us about him?"

"Not much. Name's Dylan Knapp. Knew him as a kit, got into some trouble together as youngsters. After my parents died, I was put in an orphanage. I didn't see him again until he showed up at my apartment a few months ago."

"Well, that's something we can work with. When you're ready Wilde."

He gestured towards the door that lead to the room Dylan was in. I gulped, unsure of what to say. As I walked towards the door, I noticed a key ring set on the desk next to Bogo. I snatched it off the desk quickly. Might need this in case things get a little...hairy.

I grasped the door handle, and took one final breath before I entered the room. I pushed on the door, swinging it open.

"Nick! Just the fox I wanted to see! How ya doin buddy? By the looks of your arm there, doesn't look too good."

I stared the fox in the eyes. It took all my willpower not to punch him in the face. He gestured to my left arm, the now pawless arm.

"Better than you, Dylan," I said gruffly as I sat across from him.

He laughed, "Oh, Nicky, don't try to act tough. We both know you're a softie. Even if you go around wearing a uniform and badge."

My eye twitched at the name Nicky. Once my childhood nickname, but it was now solely for Judy.

"Listen Nicky, I wanted to chat. You see, I think there's been some conflicting stories and some misunderstandings. I just wanted to tell my side of the story," he said innocently.

"I think we both know what happened Knapp, so why don't we skip the chit chat," I snapped at him.

"Woah-ho, Nicky! We're friends! Call me Dylan."

He held up his handcuffed hands, as if in defense.

"We're not friends."

"C'mon Nicky, as least let me say my peace. That's all I want, you can leave after that," he pressed with a sly smile.

"You have a minute Knapp. Start talking."

The faster I could get out of this, the better. I could already feel my anger starting to boil over, and I wasn't sure how much longer I could contain it.

"I believe your rabbit told you I forced myself on her, yes? Now c'mon Nicky, does that sound like me? I wouldn't do that to your girl! No, I'll tell you what really happened. We got back from sightseeing, to your apartment, and we had a few drinks. We were both wasted, like out of our minds wasted, not thinking clearly wasted. Next thing I knew, she was on my lap, flirting with me, and one thing lead to another, and-"

I slammed my paw on the table, stopping his speech.

"You are so full of SHIT Knapp." I snarled, baring my teeth.

"Nicky, I swear, we didn't know what we was doing! I left cause I felt bad, I mean after what we did-"

I stood and turned my back away, unable to bear what he was saying. Of course he was lying, trying to worm his way out of it. I trusted Judy too much, and I knew she wasn't a drinker. She was smarter than that.

I turned back to face him.

"Then why did the neighbors report screaming and yelling? Where did the liquor come from? I sure as hell don't keep any around. We also checked Judy's blood alcohol level the day after, we found no traces of any kind of alcohol." I advanced towards him with every sentence, watching as his face became more worried and frustrated.

I had caught him in a trap.

"Fine! So maybe I did force it a bit, but it's not as bad as she's makin' it out to be, I swear!"

My smile grew, that was all we needed.

"Thanks for the confession Dylan!"

He looked at me, bewildered.

"What, did you not think we'd be recording you?" I pointed towards the microphones around the room, catching each and every word he said. I turned my back to him, placing my paw on the door handle.

"She felt good, you know," Dylan suddenly said.

My paw stopped dead on the handle.

"Reeeeaaaal nice and soft, 'specially in the chest region…"

I whirled around, my claws fully extended, teeth barred.

He laughed, "Aw Nicky. You can look as scary as you want, but we both know you ain't gonna do nothing. You're just the same as you were as a kit. That's why that little bunny of yours ain't gonna last long. You ain't gonna be able to protect her from animals like me."

That was it. The last straw. All the anger that had been building up inside me for the past months, finally boiled over. The thought of anyone else's grimy paws on Judy like that, especially Dylan's, unleashed a rage I didn't know I had.

I pulled out the key ring I had swiped from Bogo's desk, and locked the door. Bogo's face appeared in the small window in the door, and I could hear his faint yelling, telling me to calm down, to control myself. I ignored him.

I turned to face Dylan, my claws at full mast, snarling in a savage, feral manner.

Dylan simply laughed, "C'mon now Nicky, you're a cop now! Do you really expect me to believe this show?"

I tugged my badge off my chest, throwing it to the side. I lunged at him, and his smug laugh and smile quickly dissipated. What happened next, I wasn't really sure. I felt my claw ripping through flesh and cloth, my teeth snapping at whatever was in front of me. I felt my jaws get a good hold of what seemed like his wrist, and I bit down, the taste of blood filling my mouth, followed by the cracking of bone. Dylan's pained yelps filled the air, and I felt his other arm beating the top of my head. It had no effect on me, as I shook my mouth around, trying to draw out the pain as long as I could. He deserved the pain, in fact, he probably deserved more than I was giving him after what he did.

Suddenly, I felt my body being thrown back, my arms caught in someone else's. I strained, trying to get back to the bloodied Dylan slumped up against the wall.

"Nick, Nick calm down!"

I heard a gruff voice say, the same one who was holding me back. I felt something slip over my face, and a sharp pain in the back of my neck. My body went limp almost immediately, as if my energy was being drained. Just before I lost consciousness, I realized what I had over my mouth. A muzzle. The last images I saw were not of Dylan's body, but were kids' faces staring down at me, laughing, as a muzzle was slipped over my face.

Judy POV

I paced around my office, unsure of what to do. Twisting a finger in the chain of the necklace that hung around my neck, I thought about what might be happening between Dylan and Nick right now.

That's it, I decided. I need to know.

There was no way I was going to let Nick go through this alone, he needed me to be there. However painful it might be for me.

Building up courage and confidence, I exited my office. I started moving towards the hall where interrogations were held, my least favorite section of the station. It had always given me the creeps, and today was no different. I padded down the hall, searching for the correct room. When I walked farther, I started hearing some faint yelling. What could be going on?

Nervous, I quickened my pace. I approached the door where the yelling was coming from, and poked my head inside, trying to discover the cause of the commotion. There were multiple officers pushing against a door, which I assumed lead to the interrogation room. Bogo glanced over at me, and his eyes widened.

"GET HER OUT OF HERE! SHE DOESN'T NEED TO SEE THIS!"

See what? That's when I noticed the one way mirror on the left side of the room. I ran up to the mirror, peering in. What I saw made me sick to my stomach. Blood was splattered over the floor, and at first I couldn't tell whose it was. But as I raised my eyes, there was no doubt in my mind that it was Dylan's. Nick was on top of him, viciously slashing at his chest with his one good paw while his blood-drenched muzzle held Dylan's forearm. I felt someone advancing towards me, grabbing my arms.

"LET GO OF ME!" I cried.

I didn't want anyone touching me right now. I wanted to turn away from the mirror, but my eyes were glued, still not fully believing what they were seeing.

"NICK!" I wailed desperately, pounding my fist against the glass. "NICK, PLEASE STOP!"

If he could hear me, he gave no indication.

A sharp crack to my right caught my attention. They had finally been able to break into the room. I watched as Bogo and a polar bear I didn't know started advancing cautiously towards Nick. Moving quickly, Bogo jumped on Nick, sedating him with a tranquilizer gun. In horror, I watched as the polar bear placed a muzzle around Nick's mouth.

"YOU TAKE THAT OFF OF HIM!"

Hot tears sprang to my eyes.

"DID YOU HEAR ME? I SAID TAKE IT OFF OF HIM!"

I was now sobbing. I felt large paws grab my stomach, lifting me off the ground.

"LET GO OF ME!"

I flailed my arms and legs, struggling to get out of the strong animal's grasp. I felt myself being carried out of the room. I looked back, seeing Nick's limp body being dragged out, the muzzle still around his mouth.

"TAKE THAT DAMN THING OFF OF HIM! TAKE IT OFF!"

I couldn't bear to see Nick like this, it only brought up the memory of that horrible story he told me when we first met. That was the first night I really felt something for him. I imagined he was thinking about the same thing before he passed out.

I was carried one way down the hall, and Nick was dragged the other way.

"NO! TAKE ME WITH HIM! LET ME BE WITH HIM!"

I tried with all my might to escape to Nick, but I was firmly held in place. Next thing I knew, I was dropped in the room next door. I spun around to face the officer that put me in here. It was Officer Wright, the same officer that had caught Nick in our police car the night we were forced to break up as partners.

"I'm really sorry about this Judy."

He gave me a sympathetic look, then shut the door, leaving me alone once more.

I slumped down on the floor, not sure how to react to what I just saw. Sure, Dylan was a criminal, and Nick had a personal connection to him, but the way he was going at him...it didn't seem like Nick. It was honestly terrifying, seeing him like that. The only time I had seen anything remotely close to that from him was when he was just pretending for Bellwether.

The door creaked open a few hours later, and Bogo entered the room, softly closing the door behind him. He huffed, crossing his hooves uncomfortably.

"Let me see him."

"I can't do that Judy."

"Why not?"

"We don't know what he's going to be like when he wakes up. If he's still like he was, and you're in the room….well, we don't want to risk it."

"Chief, you know him. He's not like that."

"I know Judy, but after what just happened, it's better to be safe than sorry."

"Did he just…..Did he attack him unprovoked?"

Bogo looked away for a brief second, obviously uncomfortable. "Not exactly. It was a mistake to send Wilde in there, given what Dylan had done and the past they had."

"Can you tell me why he attacked him?"

"It'd probably be better if Wilde told you."

"Sir, please. At least let me be there when he wakes up." He gave an exasperated sigh.

"Fine. We have him set up in another interrogation room. You can sit on the other side of the mirror."

"Thanks Chief."

"Don't mention it Hopps."

I followed Bogo down the hallway as he lead me to Nick.

"Um, Chief?"

"Yes Hopps?"

"What's going to happen to Nick?"

He gave another deep sigh. "I honestly don't know Judy. The way he attacked him, that was out of line."

I nodded my head in agreement. As much as I hated Dylan, Nick had gone too far. Although, I still didn't know what had provoked him, and based on Bogo's hesitance to tell me, he had a good reason. I'll reserve my judgements for later.

"What about Dylan?"

"They took him to Sahara Hospital. He should be able to pull through."

I felt mixed emotions, unsure of if Dylan surviving would ultimately be a good thing. No, death was not the answer. He deserved to rot in jail.

"He's in there."

He gestured towards a door to my left.

"Officer Wright is in there, just as a precaution. I should warn you, it may be a while before he wakes up. That tranquilizer was very powerful."

I nodded and entered the room. "Thanks again Chief." He nodded at me, and the door closed.

Nick POV

Oh, my neck…

I reached my paw up to rub the soreness out of my neck, but found I was unable to. I shook my paw, eyes still closed. There was something restraining it. A cold, metal ring was wrapped tightly around my wrist.

I snapped my eyes open, suddenly extremely aware of my surroundings. I was lying on a cold metal table, in what seemed like one the interrogation rooms. I had a muzzle around my mouth, and my right paw was pawcuffed to the leg of the table. My breaths started to become more rapid, my body tensed up. No, this couldn't be happening, Judy wouldn't let this happen. Yet, there I was, feeling as helpless as a kit. I tried to calm down, but I couldn't, the only thing I could think about was that day I thought I would become a Junior Ranger…

I looked over at the glass, seeing my reflection. I pleaded with my eyes, hoping there was someone there to help me. I sat up, trying to get the muzzle close enough to my paw so I could remove it. I felt panic start spreading through my body, my breathing becoming more ragged and desperate. My chest was beginning to tighten, and I could feel myself growing more light-headed. My claw began scratching at the leather strap of the muzzle, but that was as much damage as I could do. I sat up straight, looking around frantically to see if there was anything I could use to get this damn thing off of me. The room was barren.

Now I was really starting to freak out. I rattled the pawcuffs furiously, trying to slip my paw out of the metal confines. Suddenly, the door swung open.

"Nick!"

Thank god, it was Judy. I tried to call her name, but was unable to.

"Oh Nicky, let's get that off of you."

She walked up to the table, standing on a chair to reach my face. I felt her delicate paws wrestling with the buckle on the muzzle.

"Almost...got it."

I felt the muzzle release it's tight grip from my head, relief flowing through my bones. As she took it off, I realized my mouth was still covered in dry blood, along with my right arm, which was caked with blood up to my elbow.

"Thank you," I gasped. "The pawcuffs?"

"I don't have the keys, but I do have this." She pulled a bobby pin out her pocket, holding it up for me to see with a faint smile dancing across her lips.

"Where would I be without you, Fluff?"

She futzed with the pawcuffs for just a few seconds before they popped open, freeing my wrist. I rolled it, happy that I was finally free. I took deep breaths and tried to calm myself down now that Judy was here.

"Nick...can you tell me what happened?"

I gulped, "You saw me..?"

I couldn't even finish the sentence. She nodded. What did Judy think about me now that she saw what I had done?

"I...I saw what happened, but I still don't know why it happened."

I could tell this was her way of giving me an opening to explain myself.

"I was talking to him...I had gotten him to confess to…you know. I was just about to walk out the door when he…"

Just thinking about what Dylan had said made my stomach turn.

She looked at me, her paw twitching, as if she wanted to reach out and touch me. But it almost seemed like she was too…scared to. My stomach turned again. What had I done?

"Go on Nick."

"He...he told me...I couldn't protect you...that something like this was going to happen to you again, because of me."

I hung my head, tears dropping onto my legs.

Judy POV

He looked down, and I could tell he was already crying. I wanted to reach out and hold him, embrace him, kiss him, but something inside me hesitated. I had just seen what Nick was physically capable of doing. And it was… if that had been my parents, one of my siblings, or me…

I tried to shake the nagging thought from my head.

You know Nick, he isn't like that! I scolded myself mentally.

Still, the thought lingered in the back of my head.

I stuck out a paw, grabbing his knee, squeezing it.

"Nick, I know that's something that scared you, but you're not going to be able to protect me from everything. And I can't protect you from everything. That day you were kidnapped from the hospital...I felt helpless. But there was nothing I could've done to stop that from happening. The same goes for what happened with Dylan. I don't expect you to protect me from everything, Nicky. You don't have to put that pressure on yourself."

He sniffed, looking up at me, smiling softly.

"Thanks Carrots." He looked down at his arm. "Guess I should get cleaned up, huh?"

"Uh, yeah. You're a little...dirty."

He gave me a suggestive smirk. "In more ways than one." He winked at me.

"Don't make me tranquilize you."

Nick POV

I stood in the shower at the ZPD, letting the water flow through my fur. My paw pressed against the smooth, cool tile, I watched as the water turned red after it left my body, circling down the drain. I thought about the way Judy reacted when I first awoke, how she sat farther away from me than usually, how she seemed hesitant to touch just my knee. Was it just because of the blood on my fur? Or was it something more? Was she...afraid of me?

It would make sense. In fact, I couldn't even blame her if she was afraid of me. After seeing me attack Dylan like that, me, her natural predator, that's going to instill fear in any rabbit. I pressed my forehead against the tile. How stupid could I be? Not only had I made Judy afraid of me, but I was more than likely going to lose my job. There was no way Bogo could keep me on the force after what I had done.

Could I go back to conning? No, there was no way anyone in the conning world would trust me now, they would think I was undercover. Sure, I had Finnick, but I would need more connections than that. And it's not like a lot of places are really open to hiring a fox. Especially not one with a criminal record.

I wished I could stay in that shower forever, not having to go out and face my fate. I reluctantly shut off the water and stood there for a moment, sopping wet. I stepped out of the shower and shook my body to dry it. As I wrapped a white towel around my waist I picked up my phone and noticed a text.

"Office. Now."

It was from Bogo.

I huffed, setting my phone down. I dried off as quickly as I could, and slipped into the extra clothes I kept stashed in my locker in case of emergencies; a red t-shirt and black sweatpants.

I sulked towards Bogo's office, in no rush to arrive. I looked around, taking everything around me in. After all, this was probably my last time walking these halls as a member of the ZPD.

Somberly, I stopped in front of Bogo's office, creaking open the door.

Bogo was sitting behind his desk, his hoof supporting his head. He looked extremely frustrated, and I didn't blame him. I noticed there were two chairs in front of his desk, one was empty, but just over the back of the other I noticed two black furry tips were sticking up. I took the empty chair and glanced over at Judy. She seemed uncomfortable, and I couldn't help but notice the way she scooted slightly away from me.

"You've certainly caused a stir, Mr. Wilde."

I nodded, folding my ears back in guilt and shame. "Sorry Chief."

"Sorry doesn't change the fact that Dylan is in the hospital right now." He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "You do realize that you broke about 5 protocols, yes?"

"Yes sir."

"And that it would be nearly impossible to keep you on as an officer."

"Yes sir."

"You're suspended indefinitely. No pay. This is out of my hooves, Wilde. The board will decide what to do with you."

My heart sunk. What had I done? Something incredibly stupid, that was for sure. Something that I may not be able to fix. There was no way the board would let me stay an officer, especially since I was a fox. I looked over at Judy. She was tapping her feet nervously, clutching the necklace I had given her. She avoided my gaze, obviously still uncomfortable around me.

I really messed up. I might not be able to fix my situation with my job, but I could try and fix it with Judy. I wanted to tell her that she didn't have to be afraid of me. I couldn't though. Not in front of Chief Bogo. No, words weren't enough to fix this.

I needed to show her.


	19. Chapter 19

Hola Party People! (I'm running out of intros here. How's it hanging everyone?) 

I hope you all are doing wonderfully! I wanted to thank you all for the outpouring of love and support on my last chapter, it was truly staggering. So thank you! (Yeah you guys rock! Thank you all so much!) 

One thing I’ve been meaning to address for a while; this only applies to my lovlies on fanfiction.net. If you leave a review as a guest, and ask a question, I have no way of responding to that review! I can only message you if you have a fanfiction account. So if you have any questions for me, either create an account, or shoot me a message on Tumblr. {Shameless plug: My URL is javs2727.} I’ll be sure to get back to you as soon as possible. (I'm going to shamefully throw my Tumblr URL in here as well, in case someone needs an essay edited or something XD. xxfirestarxx)

I think that’s it this time! See you on the flip side! (Hey once again thanks for all the love and support, can't begin to describe how much that means to us. Love you all.) 

-J (FS)

Chapter 19

Judy POV

“Hey Nicky!” I yelled enthusiastically, spotting him from a distance. The fox was leaning against a brick wall outside a coffee shop, fiddling with something on his phone. His ears swiveled towards my voice. Once he spotted me, his face broke into a broad grin.

“Carrots!”

He held his arms out, that adorable smile still on his face. I leapt into his arms, giggling as he caught me and held me just under his chin. I buried my head into the scruff of his neck, surrounding myself with the warmth of his fur. It felt so good to be in his arms. So good to be so close to him.

He set me down, still beaming at me.

“So, shall we?” I asked, gesturing towards the coffee shop’s door. Turning my back to Nick, I began walking in the direction of the door. Suddenly, my paw was grabbed, yanking my entire body backwards. I spun my head around to look at Nick, wondering what he was doing.

“Nick, what are you-...Nick?”

His expression had completely changed. The charming smile he wore just seconds earlier was replaced by a snarl.

“Nick, what are you doing?!”

I tried to pull my arm out of his grasp, but was unable to.

“Nick, let go of me!”

I pulled harder, but his grip only seemed to tighten.

“Someone, help!” I yelled at the mammals walking down the street, but they seemed oblivious to my predicament. 

A low growl emanated from Nick’s throat. His hot breath hit my neck, sending a series of shivers down my spine. All my instincts were telling me to run, to get away from my predator.

I turned to face him.

“Nick, stop! This isn’t funny!” I yelped sternly, my breath beginning to quicken in terror.

His jaws snapped at my neck ferociously. Thankfully I had enough time to duck out of the way and punch him in the stomach. He was stunned just long enough for me to slip out of his grasp. Breathing heavily, I started running.

I could hear him behind me, getting closer and closer. My feet slapped against the pavement, sending hollow echoes as I turned into an alley. I tried to push myself to go faster. I could feel him growing even closer, his snarls ringing louder and louder in my ears. He was gaining on me. Next thing I knew, a sharp pain ran down my back as his claws ripped through my flesh. My body hit the ground with a yelp of pain, my back stinging from where his claws ripped through me. I lifted myself on all fours, trying to crawl away. I heard him growl, and I braced myself as he leapt on me. His body fell on top of mine, pinning me on the ground. His nose was inches from mine, his throat rumbling as I looked into those eyes I knew so well, yet seemed so devoid of the fox I loved.

“Nick, whatever’s happening, please, don't do this. Please!” I begged him.

His expression remained unchanged. He lunged his muzzle at my neck, seizing my flesh in his mouth. I tried to gurgle something out, but was unable to do so. The world around me began fading to black, my breaths becoming more shallow with each puff of air. The last sounds to hit my ears were his bloodthirsty snarls, followed by the slow dripping of my blood pooling onto the pavement.

 

I sat straight up in my bed, shaking and breathing heavily. I was in a cold sweat. I could feel the beads creeping down my back. I placed my head in my trembling paws, trying to forget the nightmare as the images of Nick flashed in front of my eyes. I could feel the tears starting to come as I sat helpless in my bed, still shaking.

This was not the first nightmare I experienced recently. They were all similar, and all ended the same way. They had occurred for about a week now ever since Nick...did what he did. I haven't seen him much since then, giving the excuse that I’ve been working extremely hard lately. I could tell that he didn’t believe me, but didn't want to pressure me into seeing him.

God damn it, that fox knew me too well. He could always tell when something was wrong and when to give me space. I felt bad for feeling the way I did, but after what I had seen him do, even to someone like Dylan, he hadn’t felt the same to me. It wasn’t the way he was acting when around me of course. He wasn’t more aggressive. Something just felt...off.

I glanced at my clock. 2:27 a.m. Well, at least today is Saturday. Wait. Today is Saturday. I felt a pit form in my stomach. I had promised to meet Nick in TundraTown on Saturday. For what or why, I didn’t know. How could I face him after what I had just seen?

 

Nick POV

I hadn’t been this nervous for a date with Judy since our first one. I had barely seen her in a week. I missed her so much, it was almost unbearable at times. In the brief moments I was able to see her, she seemed cold and distant. She kept flinching at my every move to touch her. I hadn’t so much as hugged her in the span of a week.

I couldn't totally blame her. I could only imagine what it would be like to be in her shoes, seeing me attack Dylan the way I did. However, shouldn’t she trust me a little bit more? She knows me better than anyone. She knows I would never do something like that to her. Right?

I considered it. Of course, I never actually told Judy that I wouldn’t do anything to hurt her. Mostly because I felt like that would be stating the obvious. I haven’t made any aggressive moves towards her, except in the museum, but that was all just pretend. So what was it? Was it the simple biology of our species, or maybe she just needs more time?

Maybe that was it. It might be a mistake to ask her on a date this early. I pulled out my phone, and opened up a conversation with Judy.

Hey Juds. Listen, if you’re still too busy with work or something, we don’t have to go out today.

Almost immediately, I received a reply back.

Nah, it’s fine. It’ll be good to take some time off. Meet you, same time, same place?

I smiled a bit. Maybe she had gotten over it?

Sounds good! Love you! <3

I included about twenty kissy zoomojis after that. No response. The smile disappeared from my face. Why did she not reply? 

“I’m overthinking this,” I muttered to myself, sliding my phone back into my pocket.

As much as I tried to convince myself of that, I still felt anxious. I took a deep breath and pushed myself off the edge of my bed into a standing position.

I bundled myself up in a scarf and heavy jacket. My fur did an alright job of keeping me warm, but just a simple t-shirt and pants weren’t going to cut it. I headed out of my apartment, travelling to a flower shop. I picked up an assortment of purple and light blue orchids, and drove to the center of TundraTown, where I was to meet Judy.

Judy POV

I sat in my car, parked on the side of the road. I could see the center of TundraTown from there, a large roundabout with a giant Christmas Tree in the middle, since the holiday was quickly approaching. It towered over the entire community, it’s bright light visible from even downtown Zootopia.

Standing underneath the tree was Nick. He hadn’t seen me yet, but it wouldn’t be long before he noticed I was here. I had to admit, he looked extremely handsome. A thick black coat adorned his body, large buttons running up his right side. A forest green scarf was draped around his neck, which complimented his eyes beautifully, even from this distance. A black beanie laid on his head, his reddish brown ears sticking out of the hat. His fleece pants were long and black, rustling slightly in the soft breeze. He looked extremely cozy and cute. In his right paw, I could see he was holding what seemed like a bouquet of flowers, but I couldn’t tell what kind. He seemed to be nervous, shifting his weight from foot to foot, his eyes focused on the ground.

And there I was in my car, wondering if I should even go and meet him. When he had sent me that text this morning, it was my perfect way out. At the time, I didn’t want to make it seem obvious that I didn’t want to see him. Now that I was here looking at him, I wasn’t thinking about the fun we could have, or how adorable he looked. The only thing I could think about was Dylan. I replayed the scene of Nick attacking him over and over again, unable to get it out of my head.

I rested my head against the steering wheel, closing my eyes. I couldn’t do this. Not right now. It’d be better if I just left.

A knock on my window sent my head jerking back from surprise. I hit the back of my head against the seat, sending a shock of pain through my skull. Rubbing my head and wincing, I looked over at my window to see Nick standing there, smiling nervously. I shook my head to clear the pain, opening the door and exiting the car.

“Heh, sorry I startled you Juds. You alright?” he asked, giving me a sheepish look.

“No, it’s fine,” I said softly, still rubbing the back on my head. “I’m fine.”

“Aw, c’mon, let me see.”

He started to pull me in for a hug, and my heart started beating a million times faster.

I held my paws up, pushing him back from me.

“Uh, really Nick, I’m fine. No need to check,” I said quickly. Maybe a little too quickly. I laughed nervously, trying to avoid the pained look in his eyes. “Soooo...what are we doing?”

“Well first, these are for you.” He stuck out his right paw, extending the bouquet to me. The flowers were stunning, my favorite shades of purple and blue. I took them hesitantly, a shiver running down my back as my paw grazed his. I held them close to my chest, inhaling their sweet perfume deeply. 

“Thanks Nick,” I mumbled, keeping my eyes on the flowers.

“As for what we were doing, I thought we’d get some hot chocolate and...just talk?”

I nodded, still trying to avoid his gaze.

“There’s a nice little coffee shop just across the street. Figured we could go there?”

I nodded again, not noticing he had already started walking away towards the coffee shop.

“You coming Hopps?”

I snapped out of my trance, looking at Nick.

“Ye-yeah! Coming!”

I scurried to catch up to him, now walking along his side. I made sure I was on his left side so I would have a good excuse to not hold his paw. We crossed the street, and entered the coffee shop.

All eyes immediately fell on us. At this point, I had gotten over people staring at us, but now...it felt different. It was almost as if I sympathized with them, like I didn’t want to see us together either.

No, no, no! What was I thinking? I didn’t even want to imagine Nick’s reaction if he heard me say those words. What was wrong with me?!

I shuddered, trying to think about something else. Anything else.

“I’ll order the hot chocolates. You go find a place to sit down. I’ll meet you there.”

He smiled warmly, but his eyes conveyed a different emotion. As he turned around, his tail brushed against my legs. I shivered again, but not because we were in TundraTown.

I picked out a small round table by a window. I sat down and rested my head on my paw, staring at the stunning tree. It was starting to get dark, making the tree seem even more dazzling. I sighed softly, and waited for Nick to come back.

“Here you go Cottontail.” He set a piping hot cup down in front of me, giving me a small smile along with it. “Hang on, gotta go back for mine. One paw life, am I right?” He gave an awkward chuckle at his joke, which I returned weakly. His eyes fell again, but disappeared as he turned back to the counter. The air felt extremely frigid. Even the hot chocolate didn’t seem to have the same amount of warmth.

He trotted back to the counter, picking up another cup. He bought it back to our little table, and sat down in front of me.

“So, uh, Carrots, what’s going on with you? I haven’t really been able to see you recently,” he asked, swallowing a small sip of his drink.

“Yeah, sorry about that. Bogo’s been keeping me really busy this last week,” I responded, sipping my cup as well. Even now, lying to him felt wrong. 

His eyes narrowed a bit, the sorrow growing in his green rings. “Interesting, I asked Bogo to go easy on you after…”

He paused for a moment.

“After I was suspended, and he agreed. So one of you is lying to me.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat.

“Uhhh...I don’t know what to tell you.”

His expression softened. “Look Judy, I know that seeing me with Dylan must have been difficult, but-”

He moved his paw on top of mine. The next words were out of my mouth before I even knew what I was saying.

“Don’t touch me!”

Nick POV  
“Don’t touch me!”

The words cut through my heart like a hot knife through butter. She jerked her paw away, holding it in her other paw as if I had infected it. Her voice rang loud and clear throughout the cafe, and now every animal was staring at us again. I looked back at Judy in confusion and anger, hot tears stinging my eyes. She looked shocked, even at her own words, her mouth in the shape of an o, eyes wide.

“Nick! Nick, no, I didn’t mean it, I-”

“Hey, fox! What’s going on over there?”

A polar bear had started advancing towards us, a scowl on his face.

“You harassing her?” he asked me sternly.

Even though he asked, the look on his face told me no matter what my answer was, it wouldn’t change a thing.

“N-N-No sir,” I managed to choke out.

He was towering in front of me now, staring down at me furiously.

“Was he harassing you, ma’am?”

He turned towards Judy now, his tone much more soft and caring.

“No sir! He’s my boyfriend!”

The polar bear chuckled a bit. “Who? Him?” He pointed a large finger at me, sending a nasty look my way. “Did he force you into that? Trick you into thinking that? He is a fox! They’re known to do things like that.”

“No, sir! Really, everything is fine!”

“If he’s your boyfriend, why’d you yell at him not to touch you?”

She seemed at a loss for words, stuttering and stumbling over her words.

“Hmph. Just as I thought,” he said as he turned back to me. The same dirty look was plastered on his face, aggression shining through his eyes. “You, fox. You need to leave. And I don’t want to have to force you.”

All the animals in the cafe were still staring at us.

“No, sir, please! This is all just a big misunderstanding!” Judy cried.

“It’s okay sweetie, let the predator handle it,” he retorted, silencing Judy.

“Well fox, what’s it gonna be?”

I hung my head, stepping down from the chair. It wasn’t worth arguing. No one wanted me here. None of the animals staring at me, not the polar bear, and certainly not Judy. I saw her pull up in her car, staring at me as if she was trying to decide whether to stay or go. I had noticed the way she pushed off of me when I went in to give her a hug. The way she made sure she was on the left side of me. How she seemed distant, not really talking to me at all. It was clear I was no longer welcomed into her life. At least, not right now.

I sulked away, trying to avoid eye contact with all the animals in the cafe.

“No, Nick, don’t go- hey, let go of me!”

I turned back to see the polar bear holding Judy back. Every bone in my body was telling me to listen to her, and to give that polar bear a piece of my mind for touching her. But now, I wasn't even allowed to touch her. I shook my head, turning back towards the door.

“No! Please, Nick don’t! Please!”

I didn’t listen. Those desperate pleas were beckoning me back, but I couldn’t allow myself to give in. Not after the way she had been acting. I walked out of the coffee shop, silent tears rolling down my face.

Judy POV  
Oh god, what had I done?

How stupid could one bunny get?

I couldn’t erase the look on his face after I yelled at him. It was burned in my mind, appearing everytime I closed my eyes. The hurt I caused him was eating me up inside. How could I be so stupid?!

I pulled the covers over me, wrapping myself up in my bed, wishing he was here next to me. I pulled out my phone. It was 11:30 p.m. Should I text him? No, this was not something that could be fixed from a simple text message. Still, I needed some kind of communication with him.

Hey Nicky. Can I see you?

No. An almost immediate response.

Nicky, please. I know that what I did was inexcusable. I just want to talk to you. I miss you.

Didn’t seem like it.

Ouch. As much as I didn’t want to admit it...he was right.

I don’t know what you want me to do Nick.

I want you to let me know when you’re not afraid of me. Then we’ll talk.

I tensed up. Tears began filling my eyes, leaking onto my pillow.

Nicky…I don’t know what to say.

There’s nothing to say.

I’m sorry.

I know.


	20. Chapter 20

Hello Zoop Troupe! (Hey! FIRESTAR is here too, like always. Have to say, it feels SO good to be back!) 

First, yes, I know this chapter is incredibly late. As most of you know, I have been taking care of my grandmother, and that took up a lot more of my time than I was expecting. I apologize, but hey, here it is! (Plus all the time you spent finding me rabbit pictures. Does this guy love me or not?) 

Also, quick shout out to willdehopps on Tumblr! They’ve started writing their own WildeHopps fanfiction, and I’ve had the privilege of helping them in any way that I can. I believe they will be releasing their first chapter soon, so go check them out! If tumblr doesn’t work for you, their fanfiction.net account is SpicyCracker, and their Archive of Our Own account will be under the same name. (SpicyCracker, now that's an awesome name! Everyone needs to read it just for that.)

As always, thanks for reading my story, and supporting me! (You all rock, thanks for making this so much fun for us!)

-J (FS)  
Chapter 20

Judy POV

The next few days were some of my loneliest in Zootopia. And I thought my first day on the force was bad. No, this was most definitely worse. Mostly due to the insurmountable guilt and shame I was feeling.

I wanted to see Nick so badly, but I didn’t know how to talk to him. I know he told me to come to him once I was ready, but what was I supposed to say when I finally got in front of him? Like he said, there wasn’t much to say. I was afraid of him. Or more afraid of what he could do to me.

No! I shouldn’t be! I should be able to trust him after all he’s done for me. He’s protected me so many times. He’s the mammal I should feel the most comfortable and safe around. Yet for some reason, I couldn’t silence the nagging thoughts and nightmares.

The nightmares. Oh god, the nightmares. I didn’t think they could get any worse. I was definitely proven wrong. After seeing how my behavior affected Nick, my guilt translated into my sleep. He was always there, but far away at the end of a dark hallway. Not matter what I did...how hard I ran towards him...I couldn’t reach him. He would just stand there, staring blankly towards me at first. Then his expression would warp into hurt, and anger. His last word to me is the same each and every time.

“Why?”

What if I couldn’t get him back? What if my actions were so unforgivable he couldn’t take me back?

I groaned and slumped against my desk. A thin layer of dust had settled over its wood surface, creating a small cloud as I collapsed on top of it. After TundraTown, I had no motivation to clean my desk, or anything for that matter. My entire apartment was caked in the pesky substance. The only surface to be spared was my bed.

I was supposed to be at a stakeout with my partner Savannah tonight, but decided to stay home. Bogo knew what condition I was in, and agreed a stakeout wouldn’t be the best for me. Besides, it was an easy enough mission. Savanah and another officer could surely handle it.

I lazily stood from the chair and turned off the small lamp on the desk. The room flooded with an inky black, the only solace being the city lights streaming through my window.

Shuffling to my bed, I buckled onto the plush mattress, burying my face into my sheets. Might as well check my phone. I pulled it out but somehow found my way into a text with Nick.

I stared at the blinking cursor, and it stared back. God dammit it Judy, say something! You’re losing him! No matter how hard I begged myself, the cursor just kept on blinking. I let out an exasperated sigh and threw the phone off the side of the bed.

I reached out for my pillow, pulling it close to my chest. A faint smell lingered over the cushion. His scent still remained from his last stay at my apartment. I instinctively hugged the pillow even closer and breathed in deeply.

I missed him. I missed him so much.

Almost as if on cue, my phone began vibrating below me. My eyes immediately flew open at the sound. I sprung off the bed with energy I didn’t have for days, and shakily took up my phone. Please be Nick, please be Nick, please!

Chief Bogo.

I huffed disappointedly and reluctantly answered, walking to my desk.

“Chief Bogo, what do you need?” I asked gloomy, dragging my fingers across my desk to draw small designs with the dust.

“Hey Hopps. I have some bad news.”

His voice was gruff and low like it usually was, but there was an edge of sorrow. My heart stopped.

“Is Nick alright?”

“As far as I know, yes. This isn’t about Nick. It’s about Savanah.”

Relief flooded my veins, which was suddenly replaced by more guilt.

“Savanah? What happened?”

A familiar pang hit my stomach like a ton of bricks. The stakeout...so much could go wrong.

“You know she was at the stakeout tonight. We thought there would only be two suspects there, but there...there was a third. While we were taking the two into custody, the third shot Savanah.”

Complete silence.

“I-Is she…?” I choked out, nausea suddenly filling my body.

“Yes, Hopps. She’s dead.”

Nick POV

I was extremely tired of looking at these four walls. Too bad I wasn't getting up anytime soon.

It wasn’t that I didn’t want to leave my room. I just had everything I needed there. A small TV a few feet from the foot of my bed, tons of snacks I raided from the pantry, and a comfy bed. The only thing that could make it better is if I could move my toilet into my room. Well, there was another thing that could make my situation more satisfactory...but that was even more of a long shot than the toilet.

To say I was distraught was a bit of an understatement. I was completely alone, isolated from the rest of the world. Well, I tried to talk to Finnick, but that only made things worse.

“She’s a fucking rabbit man, what’d you expect?” were his last words to me before I hung up the phone.

I’ll admit, it was disheartening that she hadn’t contacted me since our last date. How long would it take her to be comfortable around me again? A couple more days? A week? Never?

I groaned out, resting my head back into my pillow and stared up at the ceiling.

The past few days I had unsuccessfully attempted to get rid of the nauseous feeling that settled in my stomach since that fateful day. Nothing seemed to work. Then again, I knew why.

The anger was still there, just more subdued. Obviously I couldn’t be too angry. Not at her. Although I allowed myself some. How could I not when she reacted like that to my touch. No! Stop thinking about it. Get yourself together Nick!

Everything just felt so empty without her. The Zootopia I knew had been ripped away from me and replaced with the old, drab, pessimistic city I once knew. The moment I left that coffee shop, lights seemed a bit dimmer, the nights a bit darker, and food a bit blander. That bunny had a piece of my heart I was never getting back.

My phone buzzed in my pocket and I jumped up slightly. No, it wasn’t Judy. Her ringtone would’ve played if it was. Sure enough, when I tapped the power button on my phone, a text from Chief Bogo appeared on the screen. I grunted and swiped to unlock my phone. My eyes widened slightly once I read the message.

Officer Savanah Woods has died on duty. Funeral is scheduled for the 27th at 2pm. The service will be held at the Meadowlands Cemetery. All officers are required to attend. That means you, Wilde.

A mass formed in my throat, and I gulped. Savanah Woods...that was Judy’s partner. Panic began to set into my body. If something happened to Savanah, Judy was more than likely there as well.

Judy’s fine, by the way.

I settled back into my bed. Okay, Judy was fine. I never knew Savanah very well. Just a few passing remarks if I saw her around the station. Still, losing one of our own on duty, that terrified me.

Panic suddenly flowed through me again. Judy was going to be at that funeral. I would be seeing her in just a couple of days, whether we were ready for it or not.

Judy POV  
Countryside whipped past me as the train rumbled through the outskirts of Zootopia. I could already smell the fresh air, even through the walls of the subway. It took me back to carrots fields in harvest, late night star-gazing, and freshly cut grass. Home, my siblings, my parents. My parents…

Suddenly the train lurched forward, then back, signalling a stop.

“Meadowlands Cemetery,” a dull voice came over the loudspeaker and I stood.

I grabbed my small white handbag and exited the sliding glass doors of the train.

As I stepped out, I already spotted Clawhauser and Bogo on the platform talking quietly in a group of other officers. I scanned the rest of the group until my eyes landed on a older wolf, gray and white fur speckling her shining black coat. My breath hitched as I realized that was Savanah’s mother. I was the reason her daughter was dead. I ducked down and immediately headed into the crowd, trying to hide myself amongst the mammals.

Please don’t see me, please don’t see me, please!

Unfortunately I was so focused on hiding, I ran right into the back of another mammal, knocking us both off balance. I stumbled forward a bit, my face buried in the back of the mammal’s suit. They smelled oddly familiar…

Once we both regained our balance, I stood back a bit, brushing down the front of my black skirt.

“Gosh, I’m so sorry, I wasn’t looking where I was-” I cut myself off as I looked up to the mammal I ran into.

My amethyst eyes connected with a familiar green, and my stomach dropped. I hadn’t realized he was going to be here. I wasn't prepared at all. And now, out of all the mammals here...I managed to run into him?!

The fox cleared his throat uncomfortably and smoothed down his suit. Bags hung under his eyes, like he hadn’t slept in days. Even though he donned a clean suit, his fur was all rustled up, as if he hadn’t taken the time to comb it. His posture was even slumped slightly.

“It’s all good Carrots. Maybe look up next time you’re trying to avoid someone, though,” he stated coldly.

His eyes flicked over to Savanah’s mother, although his tone suggested he wasn’t just talking about her.

I stammered to find the right words, but before I knew it, he disappeared into the crowd.

I stood there, dumbfounded. I couldn’t erase his sunken in face from my memory. He didn’t look like himself at all. What was I doing to the fox?

I was so distracted by my thoughts, I didn’t notice everyone was moving off the platform and to the cemetery. I quickly followed the crowd and found Clawhauser, sticking close by to the cheetah and making polite conversation.

“So, what’s up with you and Nick? You two seem to be disconnected,” he asked sweetly, obviously concerned.

I smiled weakly up at the cheetah, trying to make it seem that yes everything was fine, and no, I definitely wasn’t the reason Nick looked like a meth addict.

“Yeah, we’re just kinda taking a break right now. Nothing major,” I replied, trying to sound as convincing as possible.

I could tell Clawhauser didn’t totally fall for it, but didn’t seem to want to press any further.

We walked the rest of the way in silence, leaving me time to ponder my thoughts. I needed to control my emotions towards Nick. He wasn’t the reason I was here. This day was about Savanah. Nick would have to wait for another time.

As we were walking, I realized something. I made physical contact with Nick. Heck, I was all over his back, and it felt normal. 

I wasn’t afraid. 

Nick POV

What right did she have to always look so beautiful?

Her outfit was simple, sure. A black skirt, white lace top, and a pearl necklace. But god damn it, that bunny made everything look spectacular. She could be wearing a trash bag, and she’d somehow make it look good.

I spotted her the moment she exited the train. Of course she hadn’t seen me, but that was probably because she wasn’t really looking for me.

Based on her reaction when she bumped into me, she wasn’t expecting to see me at the funeral. But here we were together. Physically, she seemed unaffected by everything that happened. Emotionally, I had no idea what she was thinking. I just needed to stay out of Judy’s way and let her decide what to do. 

We made our way down to the cemetery, the casket already waiting for us. A chill ran down my spine. Even though I didn’t know Savanah that well, the fact that we lost one of our own so easily terrified me. Looking at the faces around the grave, everyone seemed to be feeling a similar way.

Then my eyes landed on Judy. I didn’t even hear the first part of the speeches, my eyes were locked on her. My stomach dropped as a realization hit me like a ton of bricks.

This could happen to her. This could happen to me. No one thought it could, but now that Savanah was gone, the possibility of losing a life in our line of work suddenly seemed much more real. How could I live apart from Judy knowing that she or I might not be alive tomorrow?

The rabbit noticed I was staring, so I turned to the casket, a blush hiding itself under my fur.

Great, now she probably thinks I’m expecting her to say something to me later. I sighed softly, and tried to focus on the funeral.

However, I couldn’t stop about Judy. Judy. Judy. Judy. That’s all I’m able to think about anymore. Try to watch TV, think about Judy. Go to sleep, dream about Judy. Listen to music, cry over Judy. The bunny invaded my mind and I couldn’t get her out.

Judy POV

I glanced over to Nick, who seemed to be staring at me. He quickly turned away, and I could tell he was blushing underneath his fur just from his facial expression. It wasn’t distinguishable to anyone else, but I knew the fox too well.

My mind wandered back to our interaction on the train platform. I touched him and wasn’t afraid. Was that just because I wasn’t expecting the touch? I honestly had no idea. That could be it...but something inside me said otherwise. I needed to find another way to figure it out.

My eyes went back to the casket and I felt a weight drop in my chest. My partner, dead, just like that. It wasn’t like the suspect stopped to ask if she had a family or a spouse. He didn’t care about any of that. He just shot her...no questions asked. It was just a fact of the job. Death. My job. Oh god...and Nick’s. Well, if he gets reinstated. While that was a big if, the same thing could happen to him without the suspect even thinking about me. And Nick would leave me, thinking that I was afraid of him. I would lose a whole life with him.

I can’t let that happened. I needed to be sure first. How was I supposed to do that?

Nick POV

Sitting at a long, foldable table, I felt very much like an outsider. Most of the officers were still somewhat uncomfortable around me after the incident, and Judy definitely wasn’t sitting with me. So there I was sitting alone at a funeral reception, with a plate full of blueberries. Two weeks ago, I would’ve laughed it off with Judy, joking about how I was too good to sit by any of the other officers. But this wasn’t two weeks ago.

I exhaled sharply, wondering what I was still doing here. I reminded myself by popping the last few blueberries into my mouth. Staring disheartedly down at my plate, I sighed heavily once more. No more blueberries would mean I would have to get up. Getting up meant awkward stares from mammals as I passed them by, and possibly running into Judy again. Blueberries were worth it though, I decided. Might as well have one good thing while I was here.

My chair scraped harshly against the floor as I stood, and I winced. The room went nearly silent as some mammals glanced over at me nervously. I ducked my head down and strode over to the table full of food. I noticed something move out of the corner of my eye, but ignored it. I just needed to get my blueberries as fast as possible.

Thankfully, the small crowd around the food table parted for me. I ignored the judgemental stares cause hey, I was getting blueberries earlier than I would have otherwise. I spotted a large glass bowl, filled with an assortment of fruits. I reached for the large spoon that sat inside the dish, but my paw was met by another. I attempted to immediately pull back in embarrassment, but the paw held me there. That paw looked rather familiar…

My cheeks flushed, and I slowly looked down to meet a pair of dazzling amethyst eyes. I smiled awkwardly, and she let go of my paw.

“Sorry, just wanted some fruit,” she spoke casually, as if nothing happened between us.

I nodded slowly and watched as she scooped some fruit into a styrofoam bowl with a content smile.

What was going on here? Here she was, standing right next to me. Before I had time to think any longer she skipped away, waving cutely at me. I watched as she left, completely dumbfounded.

I slowly turned back to the table and began fishing blueberries out of the bowl. What was that? Why did she grab my paw like that when I wasn’t allowed to grab hers just a few days earlier?

Then it hit me. She hadn’t pulled away from me in disgust. No...she initiated the contact. She didn’t even flinch when she touched me. A small smile slowly spread over my face.

Judy Hopps held my paw.

Judy POV

I held Nick Wilde’s paw.

For some reason that thought made me incredibly giddy.

I held Nick Wilde’s paw and felt absolutely no fear. It was like holding his paw every other time, but somehow better.

I looked across a few tables at the fox, tapping my feet against the floor happily.

I knew I was getting stares. Probably for looking so happy at a funeral, but I was fully focused on him.

I needed to talk to him. Right now.

I pushed myself from the table, startling a few mammals sitting near me. Making a beeline to him, I pulled the chair across from him out and sat in it without saying a word.

Nick slowly gazed up from the floor at me, and my heart leapt as emerald met amethyst. I smiled sweetly towards him and I could see the panic in his eyes.

“Uhhh...whatcha need Carrots?” he asked cautiously, leaning back in his chair slightly.

I shrugged, swinging my legs underneath the table. One of my feet brushed against his, and I felt him jump backwards. My heart sunk slightly before I remembered he thought he still wasn’t allowed to touch me.

“Can we talk?”

He looked around nervously before settling his eyes back on me.

“I don’t know if this is the best time or place,” he answered lowly. The fox shifted a bit uncomfortably, leaning in a bit more.

True, a funeral probably wouldn’t be my first place of choice for this talk. But I couldn’t stand seeing Nick like this anymore. I needed to make things better and I needed to do it now.

“I know, but this is really important. Can we just go outside for a little bit, please?” I asked hopefully.

Nick closed his eyes, and rested his forehead in his paw. After a few seconds, he opened his eyes and looked up.

“Fine, a couple minutes,” he finally agreed, standing from his chair.

I hopped out of my seat with him and lead him towards the exit. I walked on his right side this time, but resisted the urge to hold his paw.

Not yet, but soon, I would be able to hold it. If all went well that is.

I didn’t consider the thought that it might go poorly. What if it did? What if he didn’t want me back and this was all in vain? What if after all this I was still alone?

Nick POV

I felt like I was going to throw up. Why did she have to do this now? Out of all the times for us to talk about my incident why did she have to do it in public? With all our coworkers a few feet away? At a damn funeral?

I’ll give her one thing, it was definitely dramatic.

We stepped out into the crisp air, the door softly shutting behind us. Judy grabbed my wrist to drag me to the side of the building, and I swear, every strand of my fur stood straight up. She seemed to be comfortable with physical contact again. That had to be a good sign, right?

The rabbit lead me around a few bushes that lined the building to a small clearing.

Tree branches hung over us, giving us as much privacy as we could possibly have. I leaned my back up against the brick wall and Judy stood just a few feet in front of me. Even in this dim lighting, her eyes stood out like a light at the end of a tunnel. We stood in silence for a few seconds, as if we were trying to figure out who was supposed to talk first.

I cleared my throat, and began to speak.

“Judy, I don’t-”

“Nick, I want-”

I shut my muzzle, blushing slightly.

Ah, nothing more awkward than simultaneously starting to talk.

I nodded in her direction, indicating for her to start. I bit my lower lip in anticipation, ready to have my heart broken again.

“So, how have you been?”

I blinked a few times, thrown off by the oddly casual question. I thought about how to answer, and decided honesty was the best policy.

“Pretty shitty, honestly. How about you?”

Her ears drooped behind her, and my heart might as well just have shattered right then and there. I always hated when her ears were droopy. She knew it too. Whenever she wanted something, all she would have to do was droop her ears and I was putty in her paws.

“Not great. Really terrible, actually.”

My eyes widened at her response.

“You definitely don’t look it. You’re gorgeous,” I responded softly, before even realizing what I was saying.

My face flushed. Oh god, was that too much to say?

Her ears burned a bright red, and Judy smiled softly. She smiled!

“Yeah, well.” She shrugged awkwardly, and I chuckled lightly.

She never was great at taking compliments. Always blushing, which only made her more adorable, which only made me want to hug her and kiss her and…

I stopped myself. No, I couldn’t think about any of that.

My chuckle faded, and silence overtook us again. I tapped my fingers against the wall, small scratching noises breaking the air. I could tell she wanted to say something, but didn’t know how.

“What’s on your mind, Judy?” I asked gently, encouraging her to speak.

This was it, the moment my heart would either leap or break. I was severely underprepared, but it was happening, whether I was ready or not.

“I’ve been thinking a lot about the incident. I got home that night, and couldn’t believe what happened. Seeing you like that was honestly terrifying, I’m not going to lie.” My ears pressed against my skull, and I looked down in shame.

Here it comes, the break up. I might as well just leave now.

“And then that day in TundraTown, you did absolutely nothing wrong. You were trying to reach out to me, help me, and I turned you away in the worst way possible.”

Her voice was incredibly soft now, almost a whisper.

“We’ve both made mistakes Nick. But I don’t want to live my life in fear of something that’s never going to happen.”

My ears perked up again. Was she…?

“I can’t live like that,” she corrected herself. “Not when you, or I could be gone tomorrow. We could be in that casket, just like any other officer could be. I want to live my life without fear, and to the fullest. I want to live it with you.”

I felt tears starting to glaze over my eyes, a rare occurrence. I could tell the same was happening to her.

“I want to live with the best, sweetest, most compassionate, funniest, smartest fox I know. You’ve been nothing but amazing to me, and-”

I reached out to cup her cheeks, and silenced her lips with mine. My teeth clacked against hers, but that didn’t matter. I was kissing the bunny I loved again. And god, did I love her, more than ever right now.

Kissing her felt comfortable, like wearing an old t-shirt. The same fireworks exploded in my head as my back hit the wall, Judy’s chest pressed against mine. All my fears, insecurities, and worries melted away. Everything in my world was exactly the way it was supposed to be.

Eventually we pulled away slightly, panting softly onto each other’s lips.

“Oh, you foxes. So emotional,” she whispered teasingly, then giggled softly.

Her sweet laughter ran in my ears, and I soaked in every second of it.

I couldn’t stop smiling, and I moved my paws from her cheeks to her hips, running them up her sides and back down. She seemed to be in the same state as me, scratching her paws over my neck and back, keeping her chest pressed close to mine.

Finally I couldn’t hold back a laugh, and burst out as I tried to kiss her again but was unable to. Her giggles only increased and there we were, two idiots laughing and kissing next to a funeral home.

I wouldn’t have it any other way.


	21. Important Announcement

Hi everyone, I would like to say thank you to everyone who has been following my story, I’ve had a lot of fun getting to meet so many of you, and sharing my passion for Zootopia and Wildehopps.

However, I have news about the story that I regret to inform you. I have made the decision to stop writing my fanfiction due to personal reasons that I will go over below.   
First off, I hope you all enjoyed Chapter 20. I tried as hard as possible to wrap up as many plot lines in that chapter as possible, and feel I did a sufficient job.

Lately I just haven’t found the same passion in my writing that I used to. I tried as hard as I could to get back into the story and writing with Chapter 20, but it just didn’t feel the same. I don’t really know how to describe it. It felt more like work, or a school project than anything else. I really had to push myself to write that.   
I have no motivation to do anything, let alone write a story. Like I said, I had to push myself so hard to write just one chapter. All the stress of trying to get a chapter out really gets to me. I freak out because I feel like I’m not writing fast enough, which in turn kills any inspiration I might have. And I have no one to blame but myself for that.  
I’m just going to be real with you all here, my depression, anxiety, and ADHD have been worse than ever recently. I’m not looking for any kind of pity or anything like that, it’s just been really difficult for me to handle everything lately, on here and in real life. I’ve recently been adjusting to new medications, as my last few either haven’t worked, or have made my condition even worse. 

I just need to get the stress of this off my back. I can’t continue like this. It’s only making my mental state worse than it already is, and at this point, it’s not worth it. And with my Junior year fast approaching, I need to make that my top priority. 

There are so many other great and better fanfictions out there. Another reason I’m highly considering ending mine is due to that fact. Again, I’m not looking for any kind of validation, I truly feel like I’m not contributing a worthy story to the Zootopia fandom. Some of you may disagree with that, I don’t know, but that’s how I feel.

But I truly need to thank everyone who’s supported me through this story. I never could have imagined the amount of love my story has received, and continues to receive. It honestly has floored me. I also need to personally thank @xxfirestarxx , for sticking with me and editing for me. He’s been an amazing editor for me, and an even better friend.  
I also need to say sorry. I’ve tried to push through everything guys, I really have. I’m sorry to everyone who was waiting for Chapter 21, words cannot express how horrible I feel about just abandoning the story like this. I’ve let you down, and I can’t say sorry enough. You have every right to be angry, upset, and frustrated with me. Trust me, I’m feeling all that towards myself as well. 99% of you have been nothing but kind, and from the bottom of my heart, if this news upsets you, I am forever sorry and grateful for your support.

On another note, I plan to still be somewhat active on this blog, and my rp blog as well. 

I also may write a few short stories here and there, if I feel like it. But the actual story itself is over for now. I’m not going to promise anything, but I can’t ignore the possibility that I may return to the story someday. It all depends on how I’m feeling, and if I have the time to fully commit to the story.

Thank you for reading, and hopefully understanding my decision. If not, like I said, you have every right to be upset. I’ll hold nothing against you. 

-Javs. (Bye guys it’s been a lot of fun. FS)


End file.
